Crab Nebula

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The Crab Nebula (M1, NGC 1952) in the constellation Taurus is a gaseous remnant of the galactic supernova of 1054 ce. The nebula, 6,500 light-years away, is expanding at 1,100 km (700 miles) per second.

Crab Nebula as seen by the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

View an animation to understand the difference between supernovae and neutron stars

Crab Nebula: References & Edit History

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Article History

Type	Description	Contributor	Date
	Invalidated site: ESO Sciences - Astronomy and Astrophysics - Observations of the Crab nebula with HESS.	Gloria Lotha	Aug 24, 2026
	Add new Web site: CORE - The inner knot of the Crab nebula (PDF).	Aakanksha Gaur	Feb 13, 2026
	Add new Web site: National Geographic - How the Crab Nebulas Pulsing Heart Stayed Hidden for Centuries.	Grace Young	Oct 11, 2025
	Add new Web site: Online Research at Cardiff - The dust content of the Crab Nebula (PDF).	Grace Young	Aug 29, 2025
	Add new Web site: IOPscience - New Measurements of the Expansion of the Crab Nebula (PDF).	Grace Young	Dec 20, 2024
	Add new Web site: ESO Sciences - Astronomy and Astrophysics - Observations of the Crab nebula with HESS.	Gloria Lotha	Oct 25, 2024
	Add new Web site: NASA Science - Crab Nebula.	Gloria Lotha	Sep 10, 2024
	Add new Web site: NASA - Chandra X-ray Center - Crab Nebula (PDF).	Aakanksha Gaur	Jan 04, 2024
	Add new Web site: The Planets - Crab Nebula.	Gloria Lotha	Aug 15, 2023
	Add new Web site: Space.com - The Crab Nebula (M1): Facts, Discovery & Images.	Gloria Lotha	Mar 15, 2019
	Add new Web site: National Optical Astronomy Observatory - M1, NGC1952, Crab Nebula.	Emily Rodriguez	Jan 27, 2017
	Add new Web site: H2g2 - The Crab Nebula.	Yamini Chauhan	Apr 02, 2014
	Article revised and updated.	Erik Gregersen	Feb 26, 2009
	Added new Web site: HyperPhysics - The Crab Nebula.	Kanchan Gupta	Oct 08, 2007
	Added new Web site: Astronomy and Physics Department at University of Alabama - Crab Nebula.	Kanchan Gupta	Oct 08, 2007
	Added new Web site: University of Washington Astronomy Department - Investigating the Crab Nebula.	Kanchan Gupta	Oct 08, 2007
	Added new Web site: NASA - Messier 1.	Kanchan Gupta	Oct 08, 2007
	Article revised and updated.	The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica	Mar 09, 2007
	Article added to new online database.	The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica	Jul 20, 1998