Crab Nebula
Also known as Messier 1 (M1), the Crab Nebula is a supernova remnant resulting from a stellar explosion observed in 1054 CE. Located approximately 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Taurus, it spans about 10 light-years and is expanding at roughly 1,500 kilometers per second.
Source: apod.nasa.gov
APODs including "Crab Nebula"
Elusive Jellyfish Nebula
08/04/2004
Normally faint and elusive, the Jellyfish Nebula is caught in the net of this spectacular wide-field telescopic view. Flanked by two yellow-tinted stars at the foot of a celestial twin - Mu and Eta Geminorum - the Jellyfish Nebula is the brighter arcing ridge of emission with dangling tentacles just right of center. Here, the cosmic jellyfish is seen to be part of bubble-shaped supernova remnant IC 443, the expanding debris cloud from an exploded star some 5,000 light-years away. Also in view, emission nebula IC 444 nearly fills the field to the upper left, dotted with small blue reflection nebulae. Like its cousin in astrophysical waters, the Crab Nebula, IC 443 is known to harbor a neutron star, the collapsed core of the massive star that exploded over 30,000 years ago.