Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2025 December 29
     [2]A dark starfield surrounds a colorful nebula filled with tangled
    filaments. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                             M1: The Crab Nebula
                   Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Alan Chen

   Explanation: This is the mess that is left when a star explodes. The
   [4]Crab Nebula, the result of a [5]supernova seen in [6]1054 AD, is
   filled with [7]mysterious filaments. The [8]filaments are not only
   tremendously complex but appear to have [9]less mass than expelled in
   the original supernova and a [10]higher speed than expected from a free
   explosion. The featured image was taken by an amateur astronomer in
   [11]Leesburg, [12]Florida, [13]USA over three nights last month. It was
   captured in [14]three primary colors but with extra detail provided by
   [15]specific emission by [16]hydrogen gas. The [17]Crab Nebula spans
   about 10 [18]light years. In the Nebula's very center lies a pulsar: a
   neutron star as massive as the Sun but [19]with only the size of a
   [20]small town. The [21]Crab Pulsar rotates about 30 times each second.

               Explore the Universe: [22]Random APOD Generator
                    Tomorrow's picture: artificial comet
     __________________________________________________________________

      [23]< | [24]Archive | [25]Submissions | [26]Index | [27]Search |
   [28]Calendar | [29]RSS | [30]Education | [31]About APOD | [32]Discuss |
                                    [33]>
     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [34]Robert Nemiroff ([35]MTU) & [36]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([37]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [38]Specific rights apply.
            [39]NASA Web Privacy, [40]Accessibility, [41]Notices;
                A service of: [42]ASD at [43]NASA / [44]GSFC,
                         [45]NASA Science Activation
                           & [46]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2512/Crab_Chen_1920.jpg
   3. https://www.heavenlyview.com/about.htm
   4. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/science/explore-the-night-sky/hubble-messier-catalog/messier-1/
   5. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/supernova/
   6. http://www.messier.seds.org/more/m001_sn.html
   7. https://youtu.be/5VnJ9pRR8-8
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap980208.html
   9. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1995ApJ...454L.129F/abstract
  10. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1998PASP..110..831N/abstract
  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leesburg,_Florida
  12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida
  13. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/united-states/
  14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RGB_color_model
  15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen-alpha
  16. https://spinoff.nasa.gov/NASA_Hydrogen_History_Informs_World’s_Hydrogen_Future
  17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crab_Nebula
  18. https://science.nasa.gov/exoplanets/what-is-a-light-year/
  19. https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/comments/8smej7/surprised_cat/#lightbox
  20. https://www.planetary.org/space-images/comet-67p-compared-to-los-angeles
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap020920.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/random_apod.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251228.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  29. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  32. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=251229
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251230.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  36. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  37. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  38. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  42. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  45. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  46. http://www.mtu.edu/