A neutron star is detected from Earth as a pulsar by its regular radio pulses only if Earth lies

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Pulsars are neutron stars that emit beams of radiation along their magnetic axis. As the neutron star rotates, these beams sweep through space. If Earth lies within the path of these beams, the neutron star is observed as a pulsar, emitting regular pulses of radio waves as the beam points toward Earth once per rotation. This is why choice B is correct; it's not about being in the equator or directly above the rotation axis, but rather about being in the path of the radiation beams.

A Neutron Star Is Detected from Earth as a Pulsar