Colors of the Southern Crab Nebula

Colors of the Southern Crab Nebula

Dissecting the Southern Crab Nebula

This diagram illustrates how Hubble Space Telescope spectral observations were used to study the chemical makeup of the Southern Crab Nebula. The hourglass-shaped nebula contains elements forged in the interior of its two aging central stars that were then blasted back into space. Energized by radiation from the pair of bright stars, each of these elements glows in specific colors (or wavelengths) of light. Hubble's Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) divided the light from the nebula's filaments to record the emission from hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. The combination of STIS spectroscopy and the image from Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 shows specifically which gases were detected and how they are distributed in the nebula. The STIS spectrum allows for a better understanding of the nature of the two stars at the nebula's center. Now injected into interstellar space, these elements will be available for future generations of stars, planets, and possibly life. NASA's upcoming James Webb Space Telescope will routinely use spectroscopy to explore a wide range of astronomical research, from exoplanets to the remote universe.

Credits

NASA, ESA, and J. DePasquale (STScI)

About The Object
Object Name Southern Crab Nebula; He2-104
Object Description Nebula with symbiotic Mira variable and white dwarf pair
R.A. Position 14:11:52.09
Dec. Position -51:26:24.39
Constellation Centaurus
Distance 10,700 light-years
Dimensions Image is 1.4 arcmin across (about 4.4 light-years).
About The Data
Data Description The HST observations include those from program .
Instrument WFC3/UVIS and STIS
Exposure Dates 11-14 March 2019
Filters F475W, F502N, F606W, F656N, F658N, F673N, G430M, G750M
About The Image
Color Info This spectrum covers 4818-7048 Angstroms on Hubble’s STIS instrument, with grisms G430M and G750M. The images are a composite of separate exposures acquired by the WFC3 instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. Several filters were used to sample narrow wavelength ranges. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic (grayscale) image associated with an individual filter. In this case, the assigned colors are: Blue: F502N Orange: F656N Green: F658N Red: F673N
About The Object
Object Name A name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
Object Description The type of astronomical object.
R.A. Position Right ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
Dec. Position Declination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
Constellation One of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
Distance The physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.
Dimensions The physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.
About The Data
Data Description
  • Proposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
  • Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.
Instrument The science instrument used to produce the data.
Exposure Dates The date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
Filters The camera filters that were used in the science observations.
About The Image
Image Credit The primary individuals and institutions responsible for the content.
Publication Date The date and time the release content became public.
Color Info A brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.
Orientation The rotation of the image on the sky with respect to the north pole of the celestial sphere.

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