Pulsar formation

Pulsars are highly magnetized, rotating neutron stars that emit beams of radiation. They form when massive stars exhaust their nuclear fuel and collapse under their own gravity during a supernova explosion. The core becomes incredibly dense, compressing protons and electrons into neutrons, resulting in a neutron star. If this star has a strong magnetic field and is rotating, it emits beams of radiation from its magnetic poles. As the star spins, these beams sweep across space like a lighthouse, and when the beams point toward Earth, we observe rhythmic pulses of light, hence the name "pulsar."