APOD
The Crab Nebula from CFHT
January 28, 2004Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope
About This Image
This is the mess that is left when a star explodes. The Crab Nebula, the result of a supernova seen in 1054 AD, is filled with mysterious filaments. The filaments are not only tremendously complex, but appear to have less mass than expelled in the original supernova and a higher speed than expected from a free explosion. The above image, taken by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), is in three colors chosen for scientific interest. The Crab Nebula spans about 10 light-years. In the nebula's very center lies a pulsar: a neutron star as massive as the Sun but with only the size of a small town. The Crab Pulsar rotates about 30 times each second.
On This Day in Space History
On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after launch, a tragedy that reshaped NASA safety protocols.
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