Crab Nebula

Supernova remnant, M1

From the Sun

6,500 light-years

Picture: NASA , ESA and Allison Loll/Jeff Hester (Arizona State University). Acknowledgement: Davide De Martin ( ESA / Hubble )

What it is

What is left of a star whose explosion was seen from Earth in 1054 and recorded by Chinese astronomers. A pulsar spinning 30 times a second sits at its centre.

The picture hangs at that distance facing Earth, as large as it is on the sky; how deep the object is cannot be seen, so it is flat.

The picture

Taken by: Hubble Space Telescope
Picture spans: about 12 ly
From the Sun: 6,500 light-years
RA / Dec: 83.64° / 22.02°
Credit: NASA , ESA and Allison Loll/Jeff Hester (Arizona State University). Acknowledgement: Davide De Martin ( ESA / Hubble )

Crab Nebula

The Crab Nebula is a supernova remnant and pulsar wind nebula in the constellation of Taurus. The common name comes from a drawing that somewhat resembled a crab with arms produced by William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, in 1842 or 1843 using a 36-inch (91 cm) telescope. The nebula was discovered by English astronomer John Bevis in 1731.

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What it is

The picture

Crab Nebula

In the Milky Way