Crab Nebula in 60 Seconds
Narrator (Megan Watzke, CXC): The Crab Nebula
is one of the most studied objects in the
night sky. First observed by Chinese astronomers
in 1054 A.D., and possibly others, this supernova
remnant and its neutron star have become favorite
targets for amateur and professional astronomers
alike. This version of the Crab Nebula combines
data from three different telescopes. X-ray
data from Chandra, in light blue, show the
super-dense neutron star that is the core
of the exploded star, which is shooting a
blizzard of high-energy particles into the
expanding debris field. This super-energetic
outflow is striking the cooler gas and dust
seen in optical data from Hubble as well as
infrared light from Spitzer. The Crab Nebula
contains incredibly intriguing science, and
provides perhaps one of the most stunning
images in all of astronomy.
