Jocelyn Bell Burnell is a renowned astrophysicist from Northern Ireland, best known for her discovery of pulsars in 1967. While a graduate student at the University of Cambridge, she detected regular radio pulses from a celestial source, which were later identified as rotating neutron stars. This groundbreaking work significantly advanced the field of astrophysics.
Despite her pivotal role in the discovery, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to her supervisor, Antony Hewish, in 1974, sparking discussions about recognition in scientific research. Bell Burnell has since received numerous awards and honors, including the Gruber Prize in Cosmology and the Royal Society's Copley Medal.