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Credit & Copyright: NASA:
X-ray: Chandra (CXC),
Optical: Hubble (STScI),
Infrared: Spitzer (JPL-Caltech)
Explanation:
At the core of the
Crab Nebula lies a city-sized, magnetized
neutron star spinning 30 times a second.
Known as the
Crab Pulsar, it is the bright spot
in the center of the gaseous swirl at the nebula's core.
About twelve light-years across, the spectacular picture frames
the glowing gas, cavities and swirling filaments near the
Crab Nebula's center.
The featured picture combines
visible light
from the
Hubble Space Telescope in purple,
X-ray light from the
Chandra X-ray Observatory in blue,
and infrared light from the
Spitzer Space Telescope in red.
Like a
cosmic
dynamo, the Crab pulsar powers the
emission from the nebula, driving a
shock wave through surrounding
material and accelerating the spiraling electrons.
With more mass than
the Sun
and the density of an atomic nucleus,the
spinning pulsar
is the collapsed core of a massive star that
exploded.
The outer parts of the Crab Nebula are the expanding
remnants of the star's component gases.
The supernova explosion was witnessed on planet Earth in
the year 1054.
Sky Surprise:
What picture did APOD feature on your birthday? (after 1995)
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: pulsar - supernova
Publications with words: pulsar - supernova
See also:
- APOD: 2025 August 8 Á Dawn of the Crab
- APOD: 2025 July 31 Á Supernova 2025rbs in NGC 7331
- Supernova Remnant CTA 1
- APOD: 2024 July 23 Á The Crab Nebula from Visible to X Ray
- APOD: 2023 October 11 Á NGC 1097: Spiral Galaxy with Supernova
- APOD: 2023 July 9 Á Doomed Star Eta Carinae
- APOD: 2023 May 22 Á Supernova Discovered in Nearby Spiral Galaxy M101