Crab Nebula

supernova remnant and pulsar wind nebula · M1

6,500 light-years from Earth

The wreck of a star seen exploding in 1054. A city-sized neutron star spinning 30 times a second at its heart powers the whole nebula.

• about 11 light-years across, expanding at 1,500 km/s
• light from it takes 6,500 years to reach us

kind

nebula · explosion or collision

catalogue

M1 · NGC 1952

with it

Crab Pulsar