Messier 1, Supernova Remnant

Messier 1 is a supernova remnant in the constellation Taurus. (TheSky, Software Bisque)

In 1054, Chinese astronomers took notice of a “guest star” that was, for nearly a month, visible in the daytime sky. The “guest star” they observed was actually a supernova explosion, which gave rise to the Crab Nebula, a six-light-year-wide remnant of the violent event. (NASA)

Visible in the image and embedded at the center of the nebula is a rapidly spinning neutron star (the ultra-dense core of the exploded star. (NASA)

The red filaments are rapidly expanding hydrogen gas excited by the radiation from the neutron star. The white misty core is a combination of heavier elements such as oxygen and sulfur, mixed with hydrogen. These elements are also excited by the radiation from the neutron star giving a soft white glow.

Image processed by Andrew F. Macica, original data from Telescope Live.

Imaging Details:

Observatory: Oria, Spain

Telescope: Officina Stellare 700 RC

Aperture: 700 mm (27.5 inches), f/8

Focal Length: 5600 mm

Camera: FLI ProLine PL16803 CCD

Filters: LRGB

Total Exposure: 15 hours 16 min.

Image Processing:

PixInsight 1.8.9-3 Ripley (x64);

BlurXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator, StarXTerminator (RC Astro);

Adobe Photoshop 25.12.4;

Adobe Lightroom Classic 15.1.1

Instruction on PixInsight from Adam Block Studios.