APOD: 2020 September 6 – M1: The Crab Nebula from Hubble
Discover the cosmos!
Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is
featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
2020 September 6
M1: The Crab Nebula from Hubble
Image Credit:
NASA,
ESA,
Hubble,
J. Hester, A. Loll (ASU)
Explanation:
This is the mess that is left when a star explodes.
The Crab Nebula, the result of a supernova seen in
1054 AD, is filled with mysterious filaments.
The filaments are not only
tremendously complex, but appear to have
less mass than expelled in the original supernova and a
higher speed than expected from a free explosion.
The featured image,
taken by the Hubble Space Telescope,
is presentedi in three colors chosen for
scientific interest.
The Crab Nebula spans about 10 light-years.
In the nebula‘s very center lies a
pulsar: a
neutron star as massive as the
Sun
but with only the size of a
small town.
The Crab Pulsar rotates about 30 times each second.
Tomorrow’s picture: path to the castle to the stars
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Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Phillip Newman
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