What is Crab Nebula?

About Crab Nebula:

• It is situated in the Taurus constellation, a staggering 6500 light-years distant from Earth.
• It was formed as a result of a supernova and possesses a mass equivalent to two Suns.
• The discovery of the object as a nebula is attributed to the English physician and amateur astronomer John Bevis in about 1731.
• It is one of the few astronomical objects from which radiation has been detected over the entire measurable spectrum, from radio waves through infrared and visible wavelengths to ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays. 

What is Nebula?

• The word nebula is derived from Latin which means a cloud.
• A nebula is a formation in space which is constituted mostly of helium, dust, and other gases in various concentrations.
• The shape and size of a nebula vary, and as such there can be various types of formations having different sizes.
• It is believed that they are formed by the collapsing of the interstellar medium, which then comes together because of the gravitational pull of the particles.
• Some of the most popular ones are Pelican, Crab, Eagle, and Ring Nebula, with Ring being among the most observed ones on the planet.

 

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Q1) What is Gravitation?

Gravitation is the natural phenomenon through which objects with mass or energy are attracted to one another. It is the force that governs the motion of planets, stars, and galaxies in the universe.

Source: HISTORIC! NASA's IXPE captures the Crab Nebula like never before