Crab Nebula
M 1
Scientific overview
Crab Nebula is a supernova remnant in the constellation Taurus. It shines at apparent magnitude 8.4 and spans about 8 arcminutes of sky.
Observation guide
Guidance follows standard observing practice, derived from the object's real magnitude and position. A dark, moonless sky always helps.
Location in the sky
Precision measurements
Distances and velocities from SIMBAD · M 1
| Distance | 6,523 ly | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Physical size (major axis) | 15.180007 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Physical size (minor axis) | 7.590004 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 83.6324 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | 22.0174 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
Full field-level provenance
- Distance: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · mesDistance · dist · 1973PASP...85..579T · catalogued value · source value 2 kpc · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Physical size (major axis): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · derived (OpenNGC angular size × SIMBAD distance) · physical size = angular size × distance (small-angle); angular size from OpenNGC, distance from SIMBAD mesDistance · derived · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Physical size (minor axis): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · derived (OpenNGC angular size × SIMBAD distance) · physical size = angular size × distance (small-angle); angular size from OpenNGC, distance from SIMBAD mesDistance · derived · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Right ascension (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · ra · 2022A&A...661A..38P · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Declination (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · dec · 2022A&A...661A..38P · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
Physical size is derived from the OpenNGC angular size and the catalogued distance (small-angle: size = angle × distance). This is a Galactic object: its Doppler shift is shown as a radial velocity, not a cosmological redshift. Fields a source did not provide are omitted, never invented.
Other objects in Taurus
| Object | Type | Mag | Size (′) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NGC 1746NGC 1746 | Open cluster | 6.1 | 18 |
| NGC 1647NGC 1647 | Open cluster | 6.4 | 27 |
| NGC 1807NGC 1807 | Open cluster | 7 | 5.4 |
| NGC 1817NGC 1817 | Open cluster | 7.7 | 9.3 |
| Hind's NebulaNGC 1555 | Reflection nebula | 9.98 | 1.82 |
| Barnard's Merope Nebula | Reflection nebula | — | 25.7 |
| Maia NebulaNGC 1432 | H II region | — | 60 |
| Merope NebulaNGC 1435 | Nebula | — | 30 |
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- OpenNGCOpenNGC (M. Verga) — NGC/IC, Messier, and Caldwell catalogue data
Openly-licensed deep-sky catalogue: object types, positions, magnitudes, sizes, morphology, and cross-identifiers.