Click on image for larger view. Hints of a disk of material around the Crab Nebula pulsar were initially seen by the Hubble Space Telescope , and later found in imagery from the Rosat spacecraft. The new view, using CXO's Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer and High Energy Transmission Grating, reveals unprecedented detail, including an inner ring and jets spewing in opposite directions from the pulsar. As remarkable images continue to pour in from the spacecraft, it turns out that all is not completely rosy. The problem appears in just one type of detector in the instrument.
Researchers have yet to fully characterize the problem.
Seven young stars are identified. Click on image for larger view. Images released today by the Space Telescope Science Institute may provide insights into intense star formation in distant galaxies. Many stars remain cocooned and only appear in infrared light, since the latter's longer wavelengths are able to penetrate the dust. See the online press release for additional images.