Astronomy Picture of the Day

    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 Specific rights apply.
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                             & Michigan Tech. U.


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