Crab Nebula

The Crab Nebula is an expanding supernova remnant in Taurus, powered by a rapidly rotating neutron star called the Crab Pulsar. Chinese and other observers recorded its originating supernova in 1054.

Crab Pulsar: A rapidly rotating neutron star at the center of the Crab Nebula that emits regular pulses of radiation. Its spin-down powers the nebula’s radiation and relativistic particles.
SN 1054: A supernova observed in 1054, recorded by astronomers in China and elsewhere. It is the explosion that produced the Crab Nebula.
Messier 1: The first object in Charles Messier’s catalogue, identified with the Crab Nebula. This catalogue designation remains a common name for the nebula.
Cassiopeia A: A young supernova remnant in the constellation Cassiopeia, produced by an explosion in the Milky Way. Unlike the Crab, it is dominated by expanding ejecta rather than a bright pulsar-powered nebula.
Pulsar wind nebula: A nebula energized by particles and magnetic fields carried outward from a pulsar. The Crab is the best-studied example of this class of object.
Chinese astronomy: The long historical tradition of observing and recording celestial phenomena in China. Chinese records provide a detailed account of the 1054 guest star.
Crab Nebula filament: A dense strand of expanding gas visible within the Crab Nebula. Its intricate optical structure traces ejecta from the supernova.
Vela Pulsar: A rapidly rotating neutron star associated with the Vela supernova remnant. It powers another pulsar wind nebula, but its remnant is older and structurally different.
Synchrotron radiation: Radiation emitted when charged particles move through magnetic fields at relativistic speeds. It produces much of the Crab’s emission, from radio waves to high-energy light.
Supernova: A stellar explosion that produces a sudden, intense increase in brightness and ejects stellar material. The Crab’s formation began with a supernova visible from Earth in 1054.

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