Gravitational radiation and the binary pulsar

Experimental results of significance to the general theory have historically been few and far between. The author briefly describes a series of radio astronomical observations of an orbiting pulsar which are of such significance. The observations now extend over nearly five years, and the system has turned out to be a natural, almost made-to-order relativity laboratory. The most important result of the observations is the detection of what appear to be the effects of gravitational radiation from the pair of orbiting stars. (Auth.)