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> The Crab nebula, NGC 1952, (M1)

The Crab nebula, NGC 1952, (M1)

author: Caltech/Pasachoff/David Malin Images/Novapix

reference: a-snv11-00509

Image Size 300 DPI: 28 * 22 cm

The Crab nebula is the expanding remains of a star that was seen to explode by Chinese astronomers in the year 1054AD. It is one of the strongest radio sources in the sky and was first identified with the optical nebula seen here by Australian astronomers in 1947. At the heart of the nebula is a rapidly-spinning neutron star, a pulsar, and it powers the diffuse, strongly polarised bluish 'synchrotron' nebula from which the red emission-line filaments seem to emerge. The photograph was made from plates taken on the Palomar 5m telescope in February, 1956. The plates were taken in several colours for scientific analysis, but are sufficiently well matched in exposure to allow three, taken in red, green and blue light, be re-constructed into a three-colour image using conventional photographic techniques.

Keywords for this photo:

1956 - ASTRONOMY - EVOLUTION - M1 - NEUTRON STAR - NGC 1952 - PALOMAR - PULSAR - STAR - SUPERNOVA - SUPERNOVA REMNANT - TAURUS -