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> Center of the Crab nebula

Center of the Crab nebula

author: ESO/Novapix

reference: a-snv11-00521

Image Size 300 DPI: 7 * 7 cm

Three colour composite of the well-known Crab Nebula (also known as "Messier 1"), as observed with the FORS2 instrument (VLT) in imaging mode in the morning of November 10, 1999. It is the remnant of a supernova explosion at a distance of about 6,000 light-years, observed almost 1000 years ago, in the year 1054. It contains a neutron star near its center that spins 30 times per second around its axis.

Keywords for this photo:

1999 - ASTRONOMY - CRAB - EVOLUTION - FORS2 - M1 - NEUTRON STAR - NGC 1952 - PULSAR - STAR - SUPERNOVA - SUPERNOVA REMNANT - TAURUS - VERY LARGE TELESCOPE - VLT -