Crab Nebula

The Crab Nebula (also known as Messier Object 1, M1 or NGC 1952) is a gaseous diffuse nebula in the constellation Taurus. It is the remnant of a supernova that was recorded by Chinese and Arab astronomers in 1054 as being visible during daylight for 23 days. Located at a distance of about 6500 ly from Earth, it has a diameter of 6 ly and is expanding at a rate of 1000 km per second. A neutron star in the center of the nebula rotates 30 times per second.

Further reading

More information about the observed date of the 1054 supernova, including the possible observation by Native Americans:

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Journal of Astronomy, part 9, chapter 56 of Sung History (Sung Shih) first printing, 1340. facsimile on the frontispiece of Misner, Thorne, Wheeler Gravitation, 1973.

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• Ruderman, Malvin A. Highlights of Modern Astrophysics: Old and New Neutron Stars, pp.21-44. ISBN 0-471-82421-6, Stuart L. Shapiro and Saul A. Teukolsky. 1986.

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