Contents
Jocelyn Bell Burnell
Discovering the first pulsars as a research student.
First pulsar · Breakthrough Prize
- Born
- 15 July 1943
- Birthplace
- Lurgan, United Kingdom
More people
Jocelyn Bell Burnell
Jocelyn Bell Burnell is a Northern Irish physicist whose careful examination of radio-telescope records revealed a new kind of stellar signal.
Early life
Northern Ireland
Grew up near Armagh Observatory and developed an early interest in astronomy.
University
Graduated in physics from Glasgow in 1965 before doctoral research at Cambridge.
Career
- 1967
Cambridge research
Recognised repeating radio signals while studying quasars.
- 1982–1991
Royal Observatory Edinburgh
Worked in astronomical research and telescope management.
- 1991–2001
Open University
Served as professor of physics.
Contributions
First pulsar
Identified regular pulses from a source later understood as a rotating neutron star.
Breakthrough Prize
Received the special fundamental-physics award.
Copley Medal
Received the Royal Society’s oldest scientific medal.
Beyond the lab
Scholarships
Donated her 2018 prize money to support underrepresented physics researchers.
Faith
Has been active in the Quaker community.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Photo: Launch_of_IYA_2009,_Paris_-_Grygar,_Bell_Burnell.jpg : Astronomical Institute, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic derivative work: Anrie ( talk ). CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
