description PSR B1257+12 Overview
PSR B1257+12 is a rapidly rotating neutron star, or millisecond pulsar, in the constellation Virgo. Astronomers Aleksander Wolszczan and Dale Frail announced in 1992 that timing variations in its pulses revealed planets orbiting the pulsar, producing the first confirmed discovery of planets outside the Solar System. The system is known to contain at least three planets, whose orbits are measured through their gravitational effects on the pulsar's precisely timed signals.
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How were planets discovered around PSR B1257+12?
Aleksander Wolszczan and Dale Frail detected regular variations in the arrival times of the pulsar's radio pulses. Their timing measurements, announced in 1992, revealed planets orbiting the neutron star. [Source](https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19920021993)
How many confirmed planets orbit PSR B1257+12?
The system has three confirmed planets, designated PSR B1257+12 b, c, and d. Their presence is inferred from the gravitational effects they produce in the pulsar's precisely timed pulses. [Source](https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/overview/PSR%20B1257%2B12%20b)
What kind of star is PSR B1257+12?
PSR B1257+12 is a millisecond pulsar, meaning it is a rapidly rotating neutron star that emits regular beams of radiation. It lies in the constellation Virgo and spins much faster than ordinary pulsars. [Source](https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/overview/PSR%20B1257%2B12%20b)
Why was PSR B1257+12 such an unusual place to find planets?
The planets orbit a neutron star, not a normal star like the Sun, making the system very different from the Solar System. The pulsar timing discovery in 1992 provided the first confirmed evidence of planets beyond the Solar System. [Source](https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-spitzer-finds-hints-of-planet-birth-around-dead-star/)
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