Jocelyn Bell Burnell is an astrophysicist from Northern Ireland. She was born on July 15, 1943, in Belfast,

Northern Ireland. Bell Burnell is best known for her significant contributions to the discovery of pulsars,

which are highly magnetized, rotating neutron stars that emit beams of electromagnetic radiation.

In 1967, while she was a graduate student at the University of Cambridge, Bell Burnell, along with her

supervisor Antony Hewish, discovered the first pulsar. They detected regular radio pulses coming from a

specific point in the sky, which turned out to be a rotating neutron star. This discovery was a significant breakthrough in astrophysics and earned Hewish and his team the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1974.

Although Bell Burnell’s crucial role in the discovery was initially overlooked, she later received recognition for her contributions.Bell Burnell has made numerous other contributions to astrophysics throughout her career. She has worked on various topics, including quasars, gamma-ray bursts, and cosmology. She has held academic

positions at several prestigious institutions, including the University of Southampton, the University of

Bath, and the Open University.

Apart from her scientific achievements, Bell Burnell has been an advocate for gender equality in science and has actively promoted the inclusion of women in STEM fields. She has been involved in initiatives

and organizations dedicated to supporting and encouraging women in science.

Jocelyn Bell Burnell’s remarkable career and her dedication to promoting diversity and equality have earned her numerous honors and awards. She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British

Empire (CBE) in 1999 and was made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2007. Bell Burnell continues to be an influential figure in astrophysics and an inspiration to many aspiring scientists, particularly women.