Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How fast is the pulsar at the center of the Crab Nebula spinning?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Supernova
Composite image of Kepler's Nova, or Kepler's Supernova, taken by the Chandra X-ray Observatory.
The pulsar located at the center of the Crab Nebula spins at a rate of 30 times per second. This rapid rotation causes the pulsar to flash in radio, visible, X-ray, and gamma-ray wavelengths at that same frequency, providing the energy that allows the nebula to glow.1