Crab Nebula, Taurus A, Messier 1, NGC 1952, Sh2-244
Type
Supernova remnant
Constellation
Taurus
Distance
≈ 6,300 ly
Magnitude
8.4
Size
7′ × 5′
RA
05h 34m 31.8s
Dec
+22° 01′ 03″
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