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ASTRONAUTS WILL USE NEUTRON STARS AS THEIR "COSMIC GPS"
The navigation system will guide future space travelers to the Moon and Mars.
Navigating your way through the vast cosmos can be quite challenging with the millions of celestial objects in the way, and a lack of galactic roads to help guide you along.
However, NASA is developing a new navigation system designed to help future space travelers find their way in the universe and reach distant destinations such as the Moon and Mars.
This 'Galactic,' rather than 'Global Positioning System' will use the guiding light of pulsars, a type of star that acts as a cosmic lighthouse.
Pulsars are a fast-rotating neutron star, or the super dense remains of a star that exploded in a supernova. These stars emit electromagnetic radiation in the form of bright, narrow beams that sweep across the cosmos in a round motion as the star itself spins.
If you are observing the stars from a distance, it will look as though they are pulsating in flashes of light, which is how they got their name.
More:
https://www.inverse.com/science/stars-cosmic-lighthouse
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