Posted on 11/09/2023 12:09:40 PM PST by MtnClimber
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.
For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.
M1A1................
awesome picture
The supernova was observed in 1054 by Chinese astronomers, but the explosion took place back in 5447 B.C.
Awe-inspiring.
No light show on Earth can equal shots like this.
An artist, an engineer and an attorney were enjoying a bottle of wine, and looked into the sky. The artist said, “God must be an artist. From the chaos of the Big Bang, he developed absolute beauty in the universe. Have you ever seen the Crab Nebula? The sunset we just saw. Beauty all around. Yes, God is an artist!” The engineer said, “No, God is an engineer. From the chaos of the Big Bang, he created the laws of physics. Blood clots, knowing when to start and when to stop. No computer can match the human mind. Yes, God is an engineer.” The attorney opened another bottle, poured a round and said, “God is a Lawyer.” After a long pause, the engineer asked, “A Lawyer? Why?” He responded, “Who do you think created the Chaos?”
There was a great space battle fought there.
The ‘Crabs’ lost that battle....
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