{"id":770757,"date":"2023-10-30T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-30T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=770757"},"modified":"2023-10-30T10:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-10-30T14:00:00","slug":"the-crab-nebula-seen-in-new-light-by-nasas-webb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=770757","title":{"rendered":"The Crab Nebula Seen in New Light by NASA\u2019s Webb"},"content":{"rendered":"

Exquisite, never-before-seen details help unravel the supernova remnant\u2019s puzzling history.<\/em><\/p>\n

NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope has gazed at the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant located 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Taurus. Since the recording of this energetic event in 1054 CE by 11th-century astronomers, the Crab Nebula has continued to draw attention and additional study as scientists seek to understand the conditions, behavior, and after-effects of supernovae through thorough study of the Crab, a relatively nearby example.<\/p>\n

Image: Crab Nebula<\/h2>\n
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This image by NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope\u2019s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) reveals new details in infrared light. The supernova remnant is comprised of several different components, including doubly ionized sulfur (represented in red-orange), ionized iron (blue), dust (yellow-white and green), and synchrotron emission (white). In this image, colors were assigned to different filters from Webb\u2019s NIRCam and MIRI: blue (F162M), light blue (F480M), cyan (F560W), green (F1130W), orange (F1800W), and red (F2100W). <\/div>\n
: Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, T. Temim (Princeton University).<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Using Webb\u2019s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), a team led by Tea Temim at Princeton University is searching for answers about the Crab Nebula\u2019s origins.<\/p>\n

\u201cWebb\u2019s sensitivity and spatial resolution allow us to accurately determine the composition of the ejected material, particularly the content of iron and nickel, which may reveal what type of explosion produced the Crab Nebula,\u201d explained Temim.<\/p>\n

Image: Webb and Hubble<\/h2>\n
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\"A<\/figure>
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This side-by-side comparison of the Crab Nebula as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope in optical light (left) and the James Webb Space Telescope in infrared light (right) reveals different details. By studying the recently collected Webb data, and consulting previous observations of the Crab taken by other telescopes like Hubble, astronomers can build a more comprehensive understanding of this mysterious supernova remnant.<\/div>\n
: Hubble Image: NASA, ESA, J. Hester, A. Loll (Arizona State University); Webb Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, T. Temim (Princeton University).<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

At first glance, the general shape of the supernova remnant is similar to the optical wavelength image released in 2005 from NASA\u2019s Hubble Space Telescope<\/a>: In Webb\u2019s infrared observation, a crisp, cage-like structure of fluffy gaseous filaments are shown in red-orange. However, in the central regions, emission from dust grains (yellow-white and green)<\/em> is mapped out by Webb for the first time.<\/p>\n

Additional aspects of the inner workings of the Crab Nebula become more prominent and are seen in greater detail in the infrared light captured by Webb. In particular, Webb highlights what is known as synchrotron radiation: emission produced from charged particles, like electrons, moving around magnetic field lines at relativistic speeds. The radiation appears here as milky smoke-like material throughout the majority of the Crab Nebula\u2019s interior.<\/p>\n

This feature is a product of the nebula\u2019s pulsar, a rapidly rotating neutron star. The pulsar\u2019s strong magnetic field accelerates particles to extremely high speeds and causes them to emit radiation as they wind around magnetic field lines. Though emitted across the electromagnetic spectrum, the synchrotron radiation is seen in unprecedented detail with Webb\u2019s NIRCam instrument.<\/p>\n

Video: Tour of Webb Image<\/h2>\n
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This video tours the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant that lies 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Taurus. Despite this distance from Earth, the Crab Nebula is a relatively close example of what remains after the explosive death of a massive star. NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope captures in unprecedented detail the various components that comprise the Crab, including the expanding cloud of hot gas, cavernous filaments of dust, and synchrotron emission. The synchrotron emission is the result of the nebula\u2019s pulsar: a rapidly rotating neutron star that is located in the center.\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

To locate the Crab Nebula\u2019s pulsar heart, trace the wisps that follow a circular ripple-like pattern in the middle to the bright white dot in the center. Farther out from the core, follow the thin white ribbons of the radiation. The curvy wisps are closely grouped together, outlining the structure of the pulsar\u2019s magnetic field, which sculpts and shapes the nebula.<\/p>\n

At center left and right, the white material curves sharply inward from the filamentary dust cage\u2019s edges and goes toward the neutron star\u2019s location, as if the waist of the nebula is pinched. This abrupt slimming may be caused by the confinement of the supernova wind\u2019s expansion by a belt of dense gas.<\/p>\n

The wind produced by the pulsar heart continues to push the shell of gas and dust outward at a rapid pace. Among the remnant\u2019s interior, yellow-white and green mottled filaments form large-scale loop-like structures, which represent areas where dust grains reside.<\/p>\n

The search for answers about the Crab Nebula\u2019s past continues as astronomers further analyze the Webb data and consult previous observations of the remnant taken by other telescopes<\/a>. Scientists will have newer Hubble data to review within the next year or so from the telescope\u2019s reimaging of the supernova remnant. This will mark Hubble\u2019s first look at emission lines from the Crab Nebula in over 20 years, and will enable astronomers to more accurately compare Webb and Hubble\u2019s findings.<\/p>\n

Learn More<\/h2>\n

Want to learn more? Through NASA\u2019s Universe of Learning, part of NASA\u2019s Science Activation program, explore images of the Crab Nebula from other telescopes, a 3D visualization, data sonification, and hands-on activities. These resources and more information about supernova remnants and star lifecycles can be found at <\/em>NASA\u2019s Universe of Learning<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

The James Webb Space Telescope is the world\u2019s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place<\/em> <\/em>in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency.<\/em><\/p>\n

NASA\u2019s Universe of Learning materials are based upon work supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AC65A to the Space Telescope Science Institute, working in partnership with Caltech\/IPAC, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and Jet Propulsion Laboratory.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Media Contacts<\/h2>\n

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Laura\u00a0Betz<\/strong><\/em> \u2013 laura.e.betz@nasa.gov<\/a>
NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.<\/p>\n

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Hannah Braun <\/strong>\u2013 hbraun@stsci.edu<\/a> , Christine Pulliam<\/em><\/strong><\/em> \u2013 cpulliam@stsci.edi<\/a>
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.<\/p>\n

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Downloads<\/h2>\n

Download full resolution images for this article<\/a><\/strong> from the Space Telescope Science Institute.<\/p>\n

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Related Information<\/h2>\n

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Neutron Stars <\/a><\/strong>\u2013 https:\/\/universe.nasa.gov\/stars\/types\/#otp_neutron_stars<\/strong><\/p>\n

Universe\/Stars Basics <\/a><\/strong>\u2013 https:\/\/universe.nasa.gov\/stars\/basics\/<\/p>\n

Universe Basics <\/a><\/strong>\u2013<\/strong> https:\/\/universe.nasa.gov\/universe\/basics\/<\/p>\n

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More Webb News<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/webb\/latestnews\/<\/p>\n

More Webb Images<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/webb\/multimedia\/images\/<\/p>\n

Webb Mission Page<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/webb\/<\/p>\n

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Ciencia de la NASA<\/a><\/p>\n

NASA en espa\u00f1ol\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Space Place\u00a0para ni\u00f1os<\/a><\/p>\n

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