The supernova explosion that formed the Crab Nebula was first seen on the year 1054. Last week, astronomers released a new image of the still-evolving center of the explosion. Visible is a complex array of gas filaments rushing out at over 5 million kilometers per hour. Even at these tremendous speeds, though, it takes a filament over 600 years to cross the 3 light year wide frame. The rapidly spinning neutron star remnant of this ancient cataclysm is visible as the lower of the two bright stars just above the photograph center.
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