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Crab Nebula (NIRCam and MIRI Image)

The Crab Nebula. An oval nebula with complex structure against a black background.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has gazed at the Crab Nebula in the search for answers about the supernova remnant’s origins. Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) have revealed new details in infrared light.

Similar to the Hubble optical wavelength image released in 2005, with Webb the remnant appears comprised of a crisp, cage-like structure of fluffy red-orange filaments of gas that trace doubly ionized sulfur (sulfur III). Among the remnant’s interior, yellow-white and green fluffy ridges form large-scale loop-like structures, which represent areas where dust particles reside.

The area within is comprised of translucent, milky material. This white material is synchrotron radiation, which is emitted across the electromagnetic spectrum but becomes particularly vibrant thanks to Webb’s sensitivity and spatial resolution. It is generated by particles accelerated to extremely high speeds as they wind around magnetic field lines. Trace the synchrotron radiation throughout the majority of the Crab Nebula’s interior.

Locate the wisps that follow a ripple-like pattern in the middle. In the center of this ring-like structure is a bright white dot: a rapidly rotating neutron star. Further out from the core, follow the thin white ribbons of the radiation. The curvy wisps are closely grouped together, following different directions that mimic the structure of the pulsar’s magnetic field. Note how certain gas filaments are bluer in color. These areas contain singly ionized iron (iron II).

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    05:34:32
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    +22:00:52
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Taurus
  • Distance
    DistanceThe 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.
    6500 light-years
  • Dimensions
    DimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.
    Image is about 5.5 arcmin across (about 10 light-years)

About the Data

  • Data Description
    Data DescriptionProposal: 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.

    This image was created with Webb data from proposal: 1714 (T. Temim) - Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    NIRCam, MIRI
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    31 Oct 2022, 24 Feb 2023, 17 Mar 2023
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    NIRCam: F162M, F480M; MIRI: F560W, F1130W, F1800W, F2100W
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    Crab Nebula, M1, NGC 1952
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Supernova Remnant, Pulsar
  • Release Date
    October 30, 2023
  • Science Release
    The Crab Nebula Seen in New Light by NASA’s Webb
    Read the release
  • Credit
    Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Tea Temim (Princeton University); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

Downloads

  • Full Res (For Display), 10509 × 9151
    png (123.33 MB)
  • Full Res (For Print), 10509 × 9151
    tif (147.37 MB)
  • 2000 × 1742
    jpg (1.2 MB)
The Crab Nebula. An oval nebula with complex structure against a black background.
Color Info
Color InfoA brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.

This image is a composite of separate exposures acquired by the James Webb Space Telescope using the NIRCam and MIRI instruments. Several filters were used to sample specific 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: F162M, Light Blue: F480M, Cyan: F560W, Green: F1130W, Orange: F1800W, Red: F2100W

Compass and Scale
Compass and ScaleAn astronomical image with a scale that shows how large an object is on the sky, a compass that shows how the object is oriented on the sky, and the filters with which the image was made.

Related Images & Videos

A side-by-side-comparison of the Crab Nebula as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope in optical light (left) and the James Webb Space Telescope in infrared light (right).

Crab Nebula (Webb and Hubble Comparison)

A side-by-side comparison of the Crab Nebula as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope in optical light (left) and the James Webb Space Telescope in infrared light (right). The Hubble image was released in 2005, while astronomers have recently used Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared...

The Crab Nebula. An oval nebula with complex structure against a black background. At the bottom left are compass arrows indicating the orientation of the image on the sky.

Crab Nebula (NIRCam and MIRI Compass Image)

Image of the Crab Nebula captured by Webb’s NIRCam and MIRI, with compass arrows, scale bar, and color key for reference. The north and east compass arrows show the orientation of the image on the sky. Note that the relationship between north and east on the sky (as seen from...

The Crab Nebula. An oval nebula with complex structure against a black background. On the nebula’s exterior, particularly at the top left and bottom left, lie curtains of glowing red and orange fluffy material. Its interior shell shows large-scale loops of mottled filaments of yellow-white and green, studded with clumps and knots. Translucent thin ribbons of smoky white lie within the remnant’s interior, brightest toward its center. The white material follows different directions throughout, including sometimes sharply curving away from certain regions within the remnant. A faint, wispy ring of white material encircles the very center of the nebula. Around and within the supernova remnant are many points of blue, red, and yellow light.

Tour the Crab Nebula

This video tours the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant that lies 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Taurus. Despite this distance from Earth, the Crab Nebula is a relatively close example of what remains after the explosive death of a massive star. NASA’s James Webb...

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Details

Last Updated
Aug 28, 2025
Contact
Media

Laura Betz
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
laura.e.betz@nasa.gov

Image Credit

NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Tea Temim (Princeton University)

Image Processing Credit

Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

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