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Crab Nebula
Position on the route: 126/130 · level needed 3300 · journey (Mk0 engine) 467.8 h
By the numbers
| Distance | ≈ 6,500 light-years |
|---|---|
| Supernova | 1054 |
| Pulsar | ≈ 33 ms spin |
| Width | ≈ 11 light-years |
The story
The Crab Nebula (M1) is the remnant of the supernova that Chinese astronomers recorded on 4 July 1054 as a ‘guest star’; it was visible by day for about 23 days and stayed in the night sky for 653. Japanese and Arab records also hold traces.
At its centre is a pulsar: a neutron star spinning about 30 times a second, lighting the whole nebula with its radiation. The nebula is one of the most studied objects in the history of science, shining at every wavelength from radio to gamma rays.
Missions
- Hubble, Chandra, Spitzer, JWST: multi-wavelength study
Colony note
The pulsar’s radiation is lethal; only a heavily shielded station.
☠ A supernova remnant and a pulsar: constant radiation inside the nebula. Only a heavily shielded station.
What probes bring back
- ≈ 6,500 light-years: the remnant of the supernova recorded by Chinese astronomers in 1054; it was visible even by day for 23 days.
- At its centre sits a pulsar spinning 30 times a second; Hubble and Chandra watch the nebula pulse.