Vela Pulsar Slows, Speeds Up, And Then Slows Down Again

If some observers were surprised to find pulsars slowing down, they must have been utterly astonished to learn that the pulsar in the Vela remnant (PSR 0833‐45) apparently sped up between 24 February and 3 March, and then slowed down again. Paul Reichly and George S. Downs of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (International Astronomical Union circular no. 2140) report that during the sevenday interval the pulsar period decreased by 134 nanosec and then resumed its former rate of increase.