File:Crab Nebula (Webb and Hubble Comparison) (2023-137).png
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DescriptionCrab Nebula (Webb and Hubble Comparison) (2023-137).png |
English: A 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). The Hubble image was released in 2005, while astronomers have recently used Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) to reveal new details of the Crab Nebula.
In the Hubble image, orange filaments consisting mostly of hydrogen form a crisp, cage-like exterior shell. Blue mottled filaments toward the outer part of the Crab contain neutral oxygen, while singly-ionized sulfur and doubly-ionized sulfur form fluffy red and green material. The bright glow in the interior’s center highlights the nebula’s pulsar, a rapidly rotating neutron star. Similar to the Hubble optical image, Webb’s infrared capabilities show the supernova remnant’s crisp, cage-like structure of fluffy red-orange filaments of gas that trace doubly ionized sulfur. Among the remnant’s interior, yellow-white and green fluffy ridges form large-scale loop-like structures, which represent areas where dust particles reside. The central area within is comprised of translucent, milky material. This white material is synchrotron radiation, which is emitted across the electromagnetic spectrum but becomes particularly vibrant thanks to Webb’s sensitivity and spatial resolution. It is generated by particles accelerated to extremely high speeds as they wind around magnetic field lines. In the center of this ring-like structure is a bright white dot: the nebula’s pulsar. Note how certain gas filaments are bluer in color. These areas contain singly ionized iron. By studying Webb data and consulting previous observations of the remnant taken by other telescopes, like Hubble, astronomers can improve their understanding of the Crab Nebula as well as broaden their knowledge on the life and death of stars. Hubble Image: NASA, ESA, J. Hester, A. Loll (Arizona State University); Webb Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, T. Temim (Princeton University). NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Jeff Hester (ASU), Allison Loll (ASU), Tea Temim (Princeton University) |
Date | 30 October 2023 (upload date) |
Source | Crab Nebula (Webb and Hubble Comparison) |
Author | Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Jeff Hester (ASU), Allison Loll (ASU), Tea Temim (Princeton University) |
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Licensing
[edit]Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse |
This file is in the public domain because it was created by NASA, ESA and CSA. NASA Webb material is copyright-free and may be freely used as in the public domain without fee, on the condition that only NASA, STScI, and/or ESA/CSA is credited as the source of the material. This license does not apply if source material from other organizations is in use. The material was created for NASA by Space Telescope Science Institute under Contract NAS5-03127. Copyright statement at webbtelescope.org. For material created by the European Space Agency on the esawebb.org site, use the {{ESA-Webb}} tag. |
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Author | Space Telescope Science Institute Office of Public Outreach |
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Source | STScI |
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Contact information | outreach@stsci.edu
3700 San Martin Drive Baltimore, MD, 21218 USA |
Horizontal resolution | 28.34 dpc |
Vertical resolution | 28.34 dpc |
File change date and time | 08:48, 4 October 2023 |