APOD: 2024 July 23 Б The Crab Nebula from Visible to X Ray
Explanation:
What powers the Crab Nebula?
A city-sized magnetized
neutron star spinning around 30 times a second.
Known as the Crab Pulsar, it is the bright spot in the center
of the gaseous swirl at the nebula's core.
About 10 light-years across, the
spectacular picture of the
Crab Nebula
(M1) frames a swirling central disk and complex filaments of surrounding and expanding
glowing gas.
The picture combines
visible light from the
Hubble Space Telescope in red and blue with
X-ray light
from the
Chandra X-ray Observatory shown in white,
and diffuse X-ray emission detected by
Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) in diffuse purple.
The central
pulsar
powers the
Crab Nebula's
emission and
expansion
by slightly slowing its spin rate,
which drives out a
wind of energetic
electrons.
The
featured image released today, the
25th Anniversary
of the
launch of NASA's
flagship-class X-ray Observatory:
Chandra.
Many Discoveries:
Chandra Celebrates 25th Anniversary
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
