Chandra X-ray Observatory images of the Crab Nebula M1

[Chandra image of M1]

The Crab nebula in X-ray light, as photographed by the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

At the center of the Crab Nebula is a rapidly spinning neutron star, or pulsar that emits pulses of radiation 30 times a second. The image shows the central pulsar surrounded by tilted rings of high-energy particles that appear to have been flung outward over a distance of more than a light year from the pulsar. Perpendicular to the rings, jet-like structures produced by high-energy particles blast away from the pulsar. The diameter of the inner ring in the image is about a tenth of a light year, more than 200 times the diameter of our solar system. The X rays from the Crab nebula are produced by high-energy particles spiraling around magnetic field lines in the Nebula. The bell-shaped appearance of the Nebula could be due to the interaction of this huge magnetized bubble with clouds of gas and dust in the vicinity.

  • This image was featured as Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) for September 29, 1999

  • More images from the Chandra X-ray Observatory
  • Crab Nebula Stuff from the Chandra X-ray Observatory Team


    Hartmut Frommert (spider@seds.org)
    Christine Kronberg (smil@lrz.uni-muenchen.de)

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    Last Modification: 10 Jun 2000 23:10 MET