Crab Nebula (M1)
Supernova remnant
The Crab Nebula is the wreckage of a star that exploded as a supernova. The explosion was seen on Earth in 1054. At its centre spins a pulsar, the star’s collapsed core.
- 6,500 light-years awayEven light – the fastest thing there is – needs 6,500 years to get here.
- Seen in 1054Exploded
- A pulsarHeart
Take a closer look
Threads of star stuff
The orange-red strands that criss-cross the Crab are the shredded outer layers of the star that blew up. They contain hydrogen, helium, oxygen and other elements made inside it. The whole cloud is now about 11 light-years across and still growing.
Powered by a spinning heart
The ghostly blue glow filling the nebula comes from tiny particles racing through magnetic fields, flung out by the pulsar at the centre. As the pulsar slowly loses spin, it pumps that energy into the cloud. Without it, the Crab would have faded long ago.
A measuring stick for X-rays
The Crab is one of the brightest and steadiest X-ray sources in the sky. Because of this, astronomers have often used it to calibrate their instruments. They even measure the brightness of other X-ray sources in “Crabs” and “milliCrabs”.
How we found out
- 1054
Chinese astronomers record a “guest star” bright enough to see in daylight for 23 days.
- 1758
Charles Messier mistakes it for a comet. To avoid more mix-ups he starts his famous catalogue – and it becomes M1.
- 1840s
Lord Rosse draws it and names it the Crab.
- 1968
Astronomers discover the pulsar at its centre.
Where do atoms like gold and iron come from?
Many heavy elements were made in exploding and colliding stars and spread through space. Some ended up in Earth – and in you!
See it yourself
A faint smudge in a small telescope, near the tip of Taurus’ horn.
From the encyclopedia
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