Crab Nebula

2026-02-22

NamesCrab Nebula, Messier 1, NGC 1952, Taurus A
Magnitude8.38
Size8' x 4'
Ra05h 36m06.8s
Dec+22°01'57.3"

The Crab Nebula is a supernova remnant and pulsar wind nebula in the constellation of Taurus. The common name comes from a drawing that somewhat resembled a crab with arms produced by William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, in 1842 or 1843 using a 36-inch (91 cm) telescope. The nebula was discovered byEnglish astronomer John Bevis in 1731. It corresponds with a bright supernova observed in AD 1054 by Mayan, Japanese, and Arab stargazers; this supernova was also recorded by Chinese astronomers as a guest star. The nebula was the first astronomical object identified that corresponds with a historically-observed supernova explosion.1

The Crab Nebula

Photo Details

TelescopeSeestar S-50
Dates2026-02-21
Integration timeapprox 2 hours

Footnotes

  1. Wikipedia - Crab Nebula