M1, the Crab Nebula, Taurus

Recorded by the Chinese as a "guest star" on July 4th 1054, and the first entry in 1758 in Charles Messier's Catalogue of comet-like objects, it is the expanding remnant of a massive star that exploded in a type II, or core collapse, supernova.  Clearly visible in the image is the remnant pulsar - it is the fainter (upper) member of the double star in the centre - a neutron star approximately 10km in diameter that rotates 30 times every second. The red emission filaments of ionised hydrogen, helium and some other elements are suggestive of extreme turbulence whilst the smoother background light, strongly polarised and continuous, is caused by acceleration of electrons in the intense magnetic fields. Distance is approximately 6,000 ly.

Takahashi TOA130 @ f=1500mm, f11.7, fov 0.5°x0.3°