AN OPTICAL COUNTERPART FOR PSR 1509-58

We propose a candidate for the optical identification of PSR 1509 - 58. This is the second youngest pulsar, with the highest recorded P and a period of 150 ms. Its subarcsecond radio position is seen to coincide accurately with a 22 mag object observed from the European Southern Observatory with the New Technology Telescope. At the reported distance of PSR 1509-58, the optical luminosity of the candidate (approximately 5 X 10(32) ergs s-1) rules out thermal emission from the neutron star surface. Its luminosity value is comparable to that of the Crab and PSR 0540-69 pulsars and as such is much higher than previous predictions. However, the efficiency of transforming rotational energy loss into nonthermal optical light for PSR 1509-58 is seen to follow a P dependence already outlined by the optical emission from the Vela, Crab, and PSR 0540-69 pulsars.