Exposures: 12 x 15 minute subexposures in Ha (3nm) for total of 3 hours
M1 is a supernova remnant. First recorded by Chinese astronomers in 1054 as a bright "star" visible during the day for several weeks following the supernova explosion. At the center of the nebula lies the Crab Pulsar, a neutron star only 28–30 km across, which emits pulses of radiation from gamma rays with a spin rate of 30.2 times per second. The nebula was the first astronomical object identified with a historical supernova explosion.
Located 6,500 light years away
Back to Images
