A leading astrophysicist from Northern Ireland has been awarded the world’s oldest scientific prize for her work on the discovery of pulsars. Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell is only the second woman to be awarded the Royal Society’s highest prize, the Copley Medal. The medal is awarded for outstanding achievements in scientific research.In 1967, when she was a 24-year-old student, she was part of a team that discovered the new type of star. Pulsars are rapidly spinning neutron stars, so named because they appear to pulsate when viewed from Earth.
NI scientist awarded Royal Society’s highest prize
