Crab Nebula

About 1,000 years ago, a massive star exploded at the end of its life cycle. What remains is the Crab Nebula, a glowing cloud of gas and dust. At the center of the Crab Nebula is a pulsar, the small, spinning core of the massive dead star. The pulsar emits all kinds of light, making the Crab Nebula easy to detect with a telescope.

Image credits: main image, In the Heart of the Crab, courtesy of William P. Blair (JHU) et al. Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), and NASA.