Radio Image of the Crab Nebula |
 | Minimum credit line: Image courtesy of NRAO/AUI
and M. Bietenholz(for details, see .
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The Crab Nebula, located in the constellation of Taurus, is the
remnant of a supernova in 1054 AD, observed as a "guest star" by
ancient Chinese astronomers. The nebula is roughly 10 light-years
across, and it is at a distance of about 6,000 light years from
earth. It is presently expanding at about 1000 km per second. The
supernova explosion left behind a rapidly spinning neutron star, or a
pulsar (not discernible in this image). The present remnant is formed
from both the material originally thrown off by the star in the
supernova explosion, and from a highly energetic wind from the pulsar.
It is this wind which energises the nebula, and causes it to emit the
radio waves which formed this image. Near the centre, plasma waves
move outward from the pulsar at speeds up to half the speed of light.
Investigator(s): M. Bietenholz This image is available in the following downloadable versions:
- 508 x 480
- 952 x 900
- 2100 x 1985
If you would like to obtain a higher resolution version of this image,
please contact .
- Read the
- Up one level for more info on
- For unfamiliar terms, visit the NRAO
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Telescope
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VLA
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Date of Observation
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2001-03-12
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Type of Observation
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Continuum Observations
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Band
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C
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Wavelength
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6 cm
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Frequency
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5.0 GHz
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Center of Image
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RA: 05:31:31.00, Dec: 21:58:54.00 (B1950)
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Field of View
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0.1167 x 0.1167 degrees
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Technical Caption
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11 hours of VLA observations in B array, also using earlier observations
in C and D arrays. VTESS deconvolution.
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- Astronomical database entries for m1
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