Nasa‘s James Webb Space Telescope has recently captured unprecedented images of the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant located 6,500 light-years away from Earth that was first recorded by Japanese and Chinese astronomers nearly 1,000 years ago. The new images reveal exquisite details that are helping scientists unravel the nebula’s complex history.
The Crab Nebula is the aftermath of a supernova explosion recorded by 11th-century astronomers in 1054 CE. Since then, it has been a subject of continuous study as scientists strive to understand the conditions, behavior, and after-effects of supernovae. The Crab Nebula, being relatively close, serves as an ideal example for this research.
A team led by Tea Temim at Princeton University used Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to delve into the origins of the Crab Nebula.
“Webb’s 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,” explained Temim.