Messier 1, the “Crab Nebula”: a stunning image and unique sequence
We share here a detailed image of the famous “Crab Nebula” (Messier 1), likely the most famous supernova remnant in our Milky Way. We also show how it expanded in almost 20 years.
Messier 1, the iconic “Crab Nebula” (NGC 1952).
The image above comes from the sigma clipping combination of 13, 300-second, unguided exposures, unfiltered, remotely taken with the the Celestron C14+Paramount ME+SBIG ST10-XME robotic unit available as part of the Virtual Telescope Project in Manciano, Italy.
The “Crab Nebula“, cataloged as Messier 1 (M 1) and NGC 1952, is one of the most studied and famous supernova remnants in the sky. Located in the constellation Taurus about 6,500 light-years from Earth, it is the remnant of an explosion observed in 1054 AD by Chinese and Arab astronomers. At its center lies a neutron star, an extremely dense and rapidly rotating pulsar that emits regular pulses of radiation and powers the entire nebula.
From a scientific point of view, M1 is a key laboratory for understanding extreme phenomena such as intense magnetic fields, relativistic particles, and the interaction between a pulsar and its surrounding environment. Moreover, the Crab Nebula is a powerful source of radiation across many wavelengths, from radio waves to gamma rays. Its observation has played a crucial role in the development of modern astrophysics, making it one of the most important and iconic objects in the night sky.
The structure of the Crab Nebula is complex and chaotic, so well documented in our hi-res image above, consisting of high-speed filaments of expelled gas and a diffuse cloud of energetic particles. These filaments continue to expand into space, allowing astronomers to study the evolution of a supernova remnant in real time.
The animation below, using a couple of our images taken in 2007 and 2026, documents how the whole structure has grown in about 20 years.
Expansion of the Crab Nebula between 2007 and 2026.
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