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from sci-tech encyclopedia http://content.answers.com/main/content/img/McGrawHill/Encyclopedia/images/CE166300FG0010.gif The Crab Nebula is the remnant of a tremendous stellar explosion witnessed by Chinese astronomers in 1054. The explosion, called a supernova, occurred at a distance of about 2000 parsecs from the Earth (1 parsec = 1.9 × 1013 mi = 3.1 × 1013 km = 3.26 light-years). The Crab now consists of three components. At the heart of the nebula is what is left of the core of the Crab's giant stellar progenitor. This neutron star has twice the mass of the Sun concentrated into an object only about 20 km (12 mi) across, giving it a density of 109 tons per cubic centimeter. The neutron star is spinning at 30 times a second, whipping its powerful (108 tesla) magnetic field around with it. Radiation formed in this extreme environment is concentrated into two intense beams directed away from the neutron star's two magnetic poles. As these beams sweep past the direction of the Earth like the beam from a lighthouse, the star appears to wink on and off, earning it the name "pulsar." The Crab pulsar has been seen in all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum from gamma rays through radio waves. The Crab pulsar's rotational period is slowing by 34 nanoseconds a day, and as it slows it loses 100,000 times more power than is radiated away by the Sun. Most of this energy is carried away from the pulsar by a wind of electrons and positrons moving at close to the speed of light. The wind feeds a vast cloud of highly relativistic particles. This cloud is called the Crab synchrotron nebula because, as the particles spiral through the nebula's magnetic field, they give off the sort of radiation emitted by a synchroton particle accelerator. . The third component of the Crab is a complex of filaments made up of gas ejected by the explosion itself (see illustration). The filaments are ionized by ultraviolet radiation from the synchrotron nebula, causing them to glow like the gas in a fluorescent light bulb
What else can I help you with?
How many years to the crabnebula?
the Crab-nebula is 6,500 light-years from Earth.
What is the smallest nebula ever found?
The smallest nebula ever found is the planetary nebula called "K 1-27." Discovered in 1996, it measures only about 0.02 light-years across. This nebula is notable for its compact size and unique structure, which includes a bright central star surrounded by a faint halo of gas. Its small dimensions challenge our understanding of nebula formation and evolution.
What kind of nebula is the eye of god?
The eye of god is a Helix nebula. Close to a Planetary nebula.
What do you call a cloud of dust particles where a star is born?
It is called a Nebula (nebulae for plural). no sorry but your wrong it is a coma It can be both it just depends. The question needs to be more specific
Is the ring nebula a cloud?
The Ring Nebula is classified as a planetary nebula which is a shell of gas and plasma, formed when certain stars die.So, in a way they are clouds of matter in space.
Who first recorded this event the crab nebula?
The discovery of the crab nebula, a supernova remnant, seems to correspond to a bright supernova recorded by Chinese astronomers in 1054. The nebula was later described by John Bevis in 1731.
What is a name of a Nebula?
"The Crab" is a nebula.
What nebula is a name of an animal?
The crab nebula.
How long was the crab nebula visible for?
The Crab Nebula or SN1054 is still visible with telescopes.
What most likely formed the crab nebula?
The crab nebula is the debris formed in the supernova explosion.
How do you describe a nebula such as the Crab Nebula?
The Crab Nebula is a supernova remnant and pulsar wind nebula.
What was the Crab Nebula caused by?
The Crab Nebula was formed when it's host star exploded as a supernova [See related question]
What is the connection between pulsars and the Crab Nebula?
Pulsars were discovered in the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant, in 1967. The Crab Pulsar is a neutron star at the center of the nebula that emits beams of radiation, producing regular pulses of light. The high-energy particles and magnetic fields in the nebula power the pulsar's emission.
What is the difference between a nebula and a crab nebula?
Well, darling, a nebula is a big ol' cloud of dust and gas in space, while the Crab Nebula is a specific nebula located in the constellation Taurus. So basically, it's like saying a nebula is a generic term for a cloud in space, while the Crab Nebula is a specific cloud that got its own fancy name. Hope that clears things up for ya, sugar!
When was the crab nebula discovered?
The Crab Nebula was first observed in 1731.
What is the longitude and latitude of the Crab Nebula?
The Crab Nebula's longitude is 184.6 and its latitude is -5.80, in the third galactic quadrant.
What is the difference between the crab nebula and the Orion nebula?
Crab Nebula:Pulsar wind nebulaSupernova remnantRadius of 5.5 ly6,500 light years awayOrion Nebula:Diffuse nebulaStellar nurseryRadius of 12 ly1,244 light years awayEdit: M1, the Crab Nebula, is related to the death of a star. The Orion Nebula, M42, is relateted to the birth of stars.
