The Crab Nebula dazzles in a new photo taken by Hubble
The Crab Nebula doesn't just have an appetizing name -- it also provides a visual feast.
NASA released a stunning close-up of the nebula on Thursday taken by the Hubble telescope. Located 6,500 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Taurus, the nebula is one of the most intensely studied supernova remnants out there.
It's not just a pretty picture. The image shows a glut of cosmic activity.
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The inner region of the nebula sends out "clock-like pulses of radiation and tsunamis of charged particles embedded in magnetic fields," NASA said in a statement online.
The neutron star, at the center of the nebula, has roughly the same mass as our sun, but is compressed into a sphere only a few miles across. The neutron star spins 30 times a second, sending out detectable beams of energy that give the impression that it's pulsating.
In the image, you can easily spot the fine details of swirling glowing gas surrounding the star, which is shown in red. The blue glow is radiation "given off by electrons spiraling at nearly the speed of light in the powerful magnetic field around the crushed stellar core."
"The neutron star is a showcase for extreme physical processes and unimaginable cosmic violence," the release said.
The Crab Nebula was first observed by Chinese astronomers in 1054 A.D., and is bright enough to be viewed by amateur telescopes.
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