The Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
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Crab Pulsar Dazzles Astronomers with its Gamma-Ray Beams

  • An artist‚Äôs rendering of the VERITAS array detecting gamma-ray pulses from the Crab Nebula.

    An artist’s rendering of the VERITAS array detecting gamma-ray pulses from the Crab Nebula.

    José Francisco Salgado based on images by M. SubbaRao, S. Criswell, B. Humensky, and J.F. Salgado

    Low Resolution Image

  • An artist's conception of the pulsar at the center of the Crab Nebula, with a Hubble Space Telescope photo of the nebula in the background. Researchers using the Veritas telescope array have discovered pulses of high-energy gamma rays coming from this object.

    An artist's conception of the pulsar at the center of the Crab Nebula, with a Hubble Space Telescope photo of the nebula in the background. Researchers using the Veritas telescope array have discovered pulses of high-energy gamma rays coming from this object.

    David A. Aguilar / NASA / ESA

    Low Resolution Image

    High Resolution Image

  • This artist's conception shows the Crab Nebula pulsar, which astronomers discovered to be sending out pulses of gamma rays with energies exceeding 100 billion electron-volts (100 GeV). A pulsar is a spinning neutron star - the collapsed core of a massive star that exploded as a supernova.

    This artist's conception shows the Crab Nebula pulsar, which astronomers discovered to be sending out pulses of gamma rays with energies exceeding 100 billion electron-volts (100 GeV). A pulsar is a spinning neutron star - the collapsed core of a massive star that exploded as a supernova.

    David A. Aguilar (CfA)

    Low Resolution Image

    High Resolution Image