#Crab nebula image credit: NASA

[celestialdaily]

Nebulae named after animals are so pretty ♡

[wonders-of-the-cosmos]

The Crab Nebula from Visible to X-Ray Image Credit: NASA

[thefirststarr]

What powers the Crab Nebula? A city-sized magnetized neutron star spinning around 30 times a second. Known as the Crab Pulsar, it is the bright spot in the center of the nebula's core. About 10 light-years across, the spectacular picture of the Crab Nebula (M1) frames a swirling central disk and complex filaments of surrounding and expanding glowing gas. The picture combines visible light from the Hubble Space Telescope in red and blue with X-ray light from the Chandra X-ray Observatory shown in white, and X-ray emission detected by Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) in purple. The central pulsar powers the Crab Nebula's emission and expansion by slightly slowing its spin rate, which drives out a wind of energetic electrons.

Image Copyright & Credit: NASA, ESA, ASI, Hubble, Chandra, IXPE

[apod]

2024 July 23

The Crab Nebula from Visible to X-Ray Image Credit: NASA, ESA, ASI, Hubble, Chandra, IXPE

Explanation: What powers the Crab Nebula? A city-sized magnetized neutron star spinning around 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 10 light-years across, the spectacular picture of the Crab Nebula (M1) frames a swirling central disk and complex filaments of surrounding and expanding glowing gas. The picture combines visible light from the Hubble Space Telescope in red and blue with X-ray light from the Chandra X-ray Observatory shown in white, and diffuse X-ray emission detected by Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) in diffuse purple. The central pulsar powers the Crab Nebula's emission and expansion by slightly slowing its spin rate, which drives out a wind of energetic electrons. The featured image released today, the 25th Anniversary of the launch of NASA's flagship-class X-ray Observatory: Chandra.

∞ Source: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240723.html

[lackaspace]

Messier 1, Also known as the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant in the constellation of Taurus as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope. (Image Credits go to NASA/ESA)

[uncontrolledfission]

The Crab Nebula from Visible to X-Ray, 2024-07-23

What powers the Crab Nebula? A city-sized magnetized neutron star spinning around 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 10 light-years across, the spectacular picture of the Crab Nebula (M1) frames a swirling central disk and complex filaments of surrounding and expanding glowing gas. The picture combines visible light from the Hubble Space Telescope in red and blue with X-ray light from the Chandra X-ray Observatory shown in white, and diffuse X-ray emission detected by Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) in diffuse purple. The central pulsar powers the Crab Nebula's emission and expansion by slightly slowing its spin rate, which drives out a wind of energetic electrons. The featured image released today, the 25th Anniversary of the launch of NASA's flagship-class X-ray Observatory: Chandra.

Credits: NASA's 'Astronomy Picture Of The Day.'

[noncompliantcyborg]

Melibe leonina, The Lion's Mane Nudibranch, swims past the Crab Nebula

I got to photograph this sea slug over the summer at a local marine lab, and I just felt there was so much color and texture that reminded me of a nebula, I had to put it in space. The background image is of the Crab Nebula. It makes me really happy to put together my love of space and the ocean.

Side note: Melibe nudibranchs smell really good. Like cucumber and watermelon and a little bit citrus.

Photo Credit: my nudibranch photo with background adapted from an image taken with the Hubble Space Telescope, with credit to NASA, ESA and Allison Loll/Jeff Hester (Arizona State University) and acknowledgemnt to Davide De Martin (ESA/Hubble). All editing and compilation done by me. High res prints available here

[spacenutspod]

5 Min Read Webb Finds Evidence for Neutron Star at Heart of Young Supernova Remnant The James Webb Space Telescope has observed the best evidence yet for emission from a neutron star. Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, C. Fransson (Stockholm University), M. Matsuura (Cardiff University), M. J. Barlow (University College London), P. J. Kavanagh (Maynooth University), J. Larsson (KTH Royal Institute of Technology) NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has found the best evidence yet for emission from a neutron star at the site of a recently observed supernova. The supernova, known as SN 1987A, was a core-collapse supernova, meaning the compacted remains at its core formed either a neutron star or a black hole. Evidence for such a compact object has long been sought, and while indirect evidence for the presence of a neutron star has previously been found, this is the first time that the effects of high-energy emission from the probable young neutron star have been detected. Supernovae – the explosive final death throes of some massive stars – blast out within hours, and the brightness of the explosion peaks within a few months. The remains of the exploding star will continue to evolve at a rapid rate over the following decades, offering a rare opportunity for astronomers to study a key astronomical process in real time. Supernova 1987A The supernova SN 1987A occurred 160,000 light-years from Earth in the Large Magellanic Cloud. It was first observed on Earth in February 1987, and its brightness peaked in May of that year. It was the first supernova that could be seen with the naked eye since Kepler’s Supernova was observed in 1604. About two hours prior to the first visible-light observation of SN 1987A, three observatories around the world detected a burst of neutrinos lasting only a few seconds. The two different types of observations were linked to the same supernova event, and provided important evidence to inform the theory of how core-collapse supernovae take place. This theory included the expectation that this type of supernova would form a neutron star or a black hole. Astronomers have searched for evidence for one or the other of these compact objects at the center of the expanding remnant material ever since. Indirect evidence for the presence of a neutron star at the center of the remnant has been found in the past few years, and observations of much older supernova remnants –such as the Crab Nebula – confirm that neutron stars are found in many supernova remnants. However, no direct evidence of a neutron star in the aftermath of SN 1987A (or any other such recent supernova explosion) had been observed, until now. Image: Supernova 1987A The James Webb Space Telescope has observed the best evidence yet for emission from a neutron star at the site of a well-known and recently-observed supernova known as SN 1987A. At left is a NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) image released in 2023. The image at top right shows light from singly ionized argon (Argon II) captured by the Medium Resolution Spectrograph (MRS) mode of MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument). The image at bottom right shows light from multiply ionized argon captured by the NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph). Both instruments show a strong signal from the center of the supernova remnant. This indicated to the science team that there is a source of high-energy radiation there, most likely a neutron star. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, C. Fransson (Stockholm University), M. Matsuura (Cardiff University), M. J. Barlow (University College London), P. J. Kavanagh (Maynooth University), J. Larsson (KTH Royal Institute of Technology) Claes Fransson of Stockholm University, and the lead author on this study, explained: “From theoretical models of SN 1987A, the 10-second burst of neutrinos observed just before the supernova implied that a neutron star or black hole was formed in the explosion. But we have not observed any compelling signature of such a newborn object from any supernova explosion. With this observatory, we have now found direct evidence for emission triggered by the newborn compact object, most likely a neutron star.” Webb’s Observations of SN 1987A Webb began science observations in July 2022, and the Webb observations behind this work were taken on July 16, making the SN 1987A remnant one of the first objects observed by Webb. The team used the Medium Resolution Spectrograph (MRS) mode of Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), which members of the same team helped to develop. The MRS is a type of instrument known as an Integral Field Unit (IFU). IFUs are able to image an object and take a spectrum of it at the same time. An IFU forms a spectrum at each pixel, allowing observers to see spectroscopic differences across the object. Analysis of the Doppler shift of each spectrum also permits the evaluation of the velocity at each position. Spectral analysis of the results showed a strong signal due to ionized argon from the center of the ejected material that surrounds the original site of SN 1987A. Subsequent observations using Webb’s NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) IFU at shorter wavelengths found even more heavily ionized chemical elements, particularly five times ionized argon (meaning argon atoms that have lost five of their 18 electrons). Such ions require highly energetic photons to form, and those photons have to come from somewhere. “To create these ions that we observed in the ejecta, it was clear that there had to be a source of high-energy radiation in the center of the SN 1987A remnant,” Fransson said. “In the paper we discuss different possibilities, finding that only a few scenarios are likely, and all of these involve a newly born neutron star.” More observations are planned this year, with Webb and ground-based telescopes. The research team hopes ongoing study will provide more clarity about exactly what is happening in the heart of the SN 1987A remnant. These observations will hopefully stimulate the development of more detailed models, ultimately enabling astronomers to better understand not just SN 1987A, but all core-collapse supernovae. These findings were published in the journal Science. The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency. Downloads Right click the images in this article to open a larger version in a new tab/window. Download full resolution images for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute. Media Contacts Rob Gutro – rob.gutro@nasa.govNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Christine Pulliam – cpulliam@stsci.eduSpace Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md. Related Information Star LifeCycle Star Types More Webb News – https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/latestnews/ More Webb Images – https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/multimedia/images/ Webb Mission Page – https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/ Related For Kids What is a supernova? What is the Webb Telescope? SpacePlace for Kids En Español Ciencia de la NASA NASA en español  Space Place para niños Keep Exploring Related Topics James Webb Space Telescope Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the… Stars Stars Stories Universe Discover the universe: Learn about the history of the cosmos, what it’s made of, and so much more. Share Details Last Updated Feb 22, 2024 Editor Marty McCoy Related Terms Astrophysics Goddard Space Flight Center James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Neutron Stars Science & Research Stars Supernovae The Universe

[wevzlans]

The Crab Nebula from Hubble 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 presented 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. Image Copyright: Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble, J. Hester, A. Loll (ASU) Follow @WeVZLLANS on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter for more 😀 ✔️ By @nasa #nasa #space #spacex #astronomy #science #universe #moon #cosmos #galaxy #earth #mars #astronaut #astrophysics #stars #elonmusk #astrophotography #physics #iss #apollo #photography #hubble #flatearth #isro #esa #rocket #spaceexploration #solarsystem #art #naturalnusantara #cosmology 👽👽👽 https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnd6nPjOw2x/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[smallplaceinspace]

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 presented 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.

[visualpoett]

M1: The Crab Nebula

2023 November 9

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Tea Temim (Princeton University)

[jcmarchi]

Webb Sees Crab Nebula In New Light - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/webb-sees-crab-nebula-in-new-light-technology-org/

Webb Sees Crab Nebula In New Light - Technology Org

Although the Crab Nebula is one of the best-studied supernova remnants, questions about its progenitor, the nature of the explosion, and the composition of its ejecta still remain unanswered. The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope is on the case as it sleuths for any clues within the supernova remnant.

Webb’s infrared sensitivity, combined with data previously collected by other telescopes, offers astronomers a more comprehensive understanding of the still-expanding scene.

Similar to the Hubble optical wavelength image released in 2005, with Webb the remnant appears to consist of a crisp, cage-like structure of fluffy red-orange filaments of gas that trace doubly ionised sulphur (sulphur III). Within the remnant’s interior, yellow-white and green fluffy ridges form large-scale loop-like structures, which represent areas where dust particles reside. Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, T. Temim (Princeton University)

The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has gazed at the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant located 6500 light-years away in the constellation Taurus. Since this energetic event was recorded in 1054 by Japanese and Chinese astronomers, the Crab Nebula has continued to draw attention and additional study as scientists seek to understand the conditions, behavior, and after-effects of supernovae by carefully studying this relatively close example.

With Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), the game is afoot as new details are uncovered – including the first complete map of dust distribution – in the search for answers about the Crab Nebula’s origins.

This is a 2005 optical image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope of the Crab Nebula. Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, T. Temim (Princeton University)

At first glance the general shape of the nebula is reminiscent of the 2005 Hubble optical wavelength image. In Webb’s infrared observation, a crisp, cage-like structure of fluffy red-orange filaments and knots of dust surrounds the object’s central area.

However, some aspects of the inner workings of the Crab Nebula become more prominent and increase in detail in infrared light. In particular, Webb highlights what is known as synchrotron emission, seen here with a milky smoke-like appearance throughout the majority of the Crab Nebula’s interior. The Hubble and Webb images of this object can be contrasted here.

This feature is a product of the nebula’s pulsar, a rapidly rotating neutron star. The pulsar’s strong magnetic fields accelerate particles to extremely high speeds and cause them to emit synchrotron radiation. Though emitted across the electromagnetic spectrum, the synchrotron radiation becomes particularly vibrant in the infrared.

To locate the Crab Nebula’s pulsar heart, trace the wisps that follow a circular ripple-like pattern in the centre, which roughly defines the location of its neutron star. Further out from the core, follow the thin white ribbons of the radiation. The curvy wisps are closely grouped together, outlining the structure of the pulsar’s magnetic fields, which sculpt and shape the nebula.

At centre left and right, the white material curves sharply inward from the filamentary dust cage’s edges and goes toward the neutron star’s location, as if the waist of the nebula is pinched. This abrupt slimming, also due to magnetic fields, results in certain areas within the supernova’s shell-like structure, most notably toward the left, emitting no synchrotron radiation.

Though the Crab Nebula’s fluffy red-orange filamentary dust cage surrounds three sides of its milky centre, in certain areas the synchrotron emission extends beyond.

Despite being outpaced by the synchrotron-emitting gas at times, clumps of dust are accelerating away from the pulsar centre as the gas bubble rapidly expands. However, because the gas is low in density, some of the dust creates sinking spindly fingers, leaving a small trace behind. Notice how the filaments tend to be longer toward the right side of the nebula, in the direction the pulsar is moving.

Within the nebula’s interior, yellow-white mottled filaments form loop-like structures, which represent areas where dust particles are forming. While astronomers previously knew dust was present in the Crab Nebula, Webb’s unparalleled infrared sensitivity has shown for the first time the full spatial distribution of where dust is located and developed.

The search for answers about the Crab Nebula’s past continues as astronomers further analyse the Webb data and consult previous observations of the nebula taken by other telescopes. Scientists will receive even more data in the near future once Hubble reimages the supernova remnant. This will be Hubble’s first look at the Crab Nebula in over 20 years, and will enable astronomers to more accurately compare Webb’s and Hubble’s findings.

More information

Webb is the largest, most powerful telescope ever launched into space. Under an international collaboration agreement, ESA provided the telescope’s launch service, using the Ariane 5 launch vehicle.

Working with partners, ESA was responsible for the development and qualification of Ariane 5 adaptations for the Webb mission and for the procurement of the launch service by Arianespace.

ESA also provided the workhorse spectrograph NIRSpec and 50% of the mid-infrared instrument MIRI, which was designed and built by a consortium of nationally funded European Institutes (The MIRI European Consortium) in partnership with JPL and the University of Arizona.

Source: European Space Agency

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[emrisemrisemris]

“This image shows a composite view of the Crab nebula, an iconic supernova remnant in our Milky Way galaxy, as viewed by the Herschel Space Observatory and the Hubble Space Telescope.” Image credits: ESA/Herschel/PACS/MESS Key Programme Supernova Remnant Team; NASA, ESA and Allison Loll/Jeff Hester Arizona State University  (link)

[apod]

2023 November 9

M1: The Crab Nebula Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Tea Temim (Princeton University)

Explanation: The Crab Nebula is cataloged as M1, the first object on Charles Messier's famous 18th century list of things which are not comets. In fact, the Crab is now known to be a supernova remnant, debris from the death explosion of a massive star witnessed by astronomers in the year 1054. This sharp image from the James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) explores the eerie glow and fragmented strands of the still expanding cloud of interstellar debris in infrared light. One of the most exotic objects known to modern astronomers, the Crab Pulsar, a neutron star spinning 30 times a second, is visible as a bright spot near the nebula's center. Like a cosmic dynamo, this collapsed remnant of the stellar core powers the Crab's emission across the electromagnetic spectrum. Spanning about 12 light-years, the Crab Nebula is a mere 6,500 light-years away in the head-strong constellation Taurus.

∞ Source: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231109.html

[talonabraxas]

The Crab Nebula In celebration of the 29th anniversary of the launch of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers captured this festive, colorful look at the tentacled Southern Crab Nebula.The nebula, officially known as Hen 2-104, is located several thousand light-years from Earth in the southern hemisphere constellation of Centaurus. It appears to have two nested hourglass-shaped structures that were sculpted by a whirling pair of stars in a binary system. The duo consists of an aging red giant star and a burned-out star, a white dwarf. The red giant is shedding its outer layers. Some of this ejected material is attracted by the gravity of the companion white dwarf.The result is that both stars are embedded in a flat disk of gas stretching between them. This belt of material constricts the outflow of gas so that it only speeds away above and below the disk. The result is an hourglass-shaped nebula.The bubbles of gas and dust appear brightest at the edges, giving the illusion of crab leg structures. These "legs" are likely to be the places where the outflow slams into surrounding interstellar gas and dust, or possibly material which was earlier lost by the red giant star.The outflow may only last a few thousand years, a tiny fraction of the lifetime of the system. This means that the outer structure may be just thousands of years old, but the inner hourglass must be a more recent outflow event. The red giant will ultimately collapse to become a white dwarf. After that, the surviving pair of white dwarfs will illuminate a shell of gas called a planetary nebula.The object was first reported in the late 1960s, but was assumed to be an ordinary star. In 1989, astronomers used the European Southern Observatory's La Silla Observatory in Chile to photograph a roughly crab-shaped extended nebula, formed by symmetrical bubbles.These early observations only showed the outer hourglass emanating from a bright central region. Hubble photographed the Southern Crab in 1999 to reveal complicated nested structures. These latest images were taken in March 2019 with a wide set of color filters on Hubble's newest, sharpest detector, Wide Field Camera 3. This image is a composite of observations taken in various colors of light that correspond to the glowing gases in the nebula. Red is sulfur, green is hydrogen, orange is nitrogen, and blue is oxygen.Hubble launched on April 24, 1990, aboard the space shuttle Discovery. From its perch high above the distorting effects of Earth's atmosphere, Hubble observes the universe in near-ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared light. Over the past 29 years, the space telescope's breakthrough discoveries have revolutionized nearly all fields of astronomy and astrophysics. Among Hubble's landmark accomplishments include making the deepest views ever taken of the evolving universe, finding planet-forming disks around nearby stars, chemically probing the atmospheres of planets orbiting other stars, identifying the first supermassive black hole in the heart of a neighboring galaxy, and providing evidence of an accelerating universe, propelled perhaps by some unknown source of energy in the fabric of space. Credits: NASA

[the-telescope-times]

Our Universe: It’s Full of Stars and Other Cool Stuff

1)  heic0515a The Crab was assembled from 24 individual exposures taken with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and is the highest resolution image of the entire Crab Nebula ever made. Credit: NASA, ESA and Allison Loll/Jeff Hester (Arizona State University). Acknowledgement: Davide De Martin (ESA/Hubble)

2) heic1118a Sh 2-106, or S106 for short. This is a compact star forming region in the constellation Cygnus (The Swan). A newly-formed star called S106 IR is shrouded in dust at the center of the image, and is responsible for the surrounding gas cloud’s hourglass-like shape. Credit: NASA & ESA

3) heic1018a SNR B0509-67.5 (or SNR 0509 for short), the bubble is the visible remnant of a powerful stellar explosion in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a small galaxy about 160 000 light-years from Earth. The bubble-shaped shroud of gas is 23 light-years across and is expanding at more than 18 million km/h. Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA). Acknowledgement: J. Hughes (Rutgers University)

4) opo1331a Comet ISON floats against a seemingly infinite backdrop of numerous galaxies and a handful of foreground stars. Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

5) potw1007a The star HD 44179 is surrounded by an extraordinary structure known as the Red Rectangle which is found about 2 300 light-years away in the constellation Monoceros (the Unicorn). Credit: ESA/Hubble and NASA

6) heic1220a Planetary nebula NGC 5189. The intricate structure of the stellar eruption looks like a giant and brightly coloured ribbon in space. Credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

7) heic0702a A fascinating star-forming region known as N90. The high energy radiation blazing out from the hot young stars in N90 is eroding the outer portions of the nebula from the inside, as the diffuse outer reaches of the nebula prevent the energetic outflows from streaming away from the cluster directly. Credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration

8) heic0910h Planetary nebula NGC 6302 What resemble dainty butterfly wings are actually roiling cauldrons of gas heated to nearly 20 000 degrees Celsius. The gas is tearing across space at more than 950 000 kilometres per hour — fast enough to travel from Earth to the Moon in 24 minutes! The "butterfly" stretches for more than two light-years, which is about half the distance from the Sun to the nearest star, Proxima Centauri. Credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble SM4 ERO Team

9) heic1215b Hubble image of MACS J0717 This enormous image (originally 18,956x10,646) shows Hubble’s view of massive galaxy cluster MACS J0717.5+3745. The large field of view is a combination of 18 separate Hubble images. Credit: NASA, ESA, Harald Ebeling(University of Hawaii at Manoa) & Jean-Paul Kneib (LAM)

10) heic0601a Hubble's sharpest view of the Orion Nebula The Orion Nebula is 1,500 light-years away, the nearest star-forming region to Earth. Astronomers used 520 Hubble images, taken in five colours, to make this picture. They also added ground-based photos to fill out the nebula. The ACS mosaic covers approximately the apparent angular size of the full moon. The Orion observations were taken between 2004 and 2005. Credit: NASA, ESA, M. Robberto ( Space Telescope Science Institute/ESA) and the Hubble Space Telescope Orion Treasury Project Team