CRAB NEBULA RESOURCES

What is a supernova remnant? What is a pulsar?

What remains after the death of a massive star? Dive into these resources to learn more about the Crab Nebula supernova remnant, a dynamic scene that connects to the life cycle—the evolution, demise, and lingering influence—of stars.

Lying 6,500 light-years away from Earth, the Crab Nebula is a dazzling scene that was created by the explosive death of a massive star, also known as a supernova. The material that has remained post-explosion comprises the Crab Nebula, one of the most well-studied supernova remnants to date. The Crab’s contents—the gas, dust, and newly created heavy elements—are some of the vital ingredients for star and planet formation in the universe.

Many mysteries surround the Crab Nebula, including what kind of massive star produced such a volatile event. Fortunately, the Crab’s relatively close location enables scientific observations from an array of telescopes across the electromagnetic spectrum.

• Data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory reveal the nebula’s heart, a rapidly rotating neutron star—also known as a pulsar—that emits jets of high-energy particles.
• Visible light observations by the Hubble Space Telescope show the cavernous filaments of hot gas, and ultraviolet light highlights a cloud of energized gas and nearby stars.
• The Spitzer Space Telescope notes the dust created by the supernova event, while new infrared observations from the James Webb Space Telescope uncover the full spatial distribution of where dust grains are located for the first time ever.

Explore these telescopes’ data of the Crab at your own pace and in different formats that evoke the senses: sight, sound, and touch. These learning resources were created through NASA’s Universe of Learning, which is part of the NASA Science Activation program.

Together, multi-wavelength exploration is forming a richer picture of the Crab Nebula and is shaping our knowledge of what happens to massive stars at the end of their lives. By studying the processes of stars and their effects on their surrounding environment, we can better understand where and how everything in the universe—elements, planetary bodies, and even living things—originate.