Goa, July 13 -- Scientists have, for the first time, directly measured the magnetic field of a pulsar using NASA's Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE), marking a significant breakthrough in the study of some of the universe's most extreme objects.

The observations focused on PSR J1101-6101, a rapidly spinning pulsar located within the Lighthouse Nebula. According to NASA, the findings provide fresh insights into the structure and behaviour of neutron stars.

A pulsar is a highly magnetised type of neutron star that rotates at extraordinary speeds while emitting beams of radiation. The pulsar at the centre of the Lighthouse Nebula completes approximately 16 rotations every second.

Neutron stars are the dense remnants of massive sta...