The
Crab Nebula usually takes center stage in photographs. Here it is set against a
striking background of stars, showing it in the context of a Milky Way field.
The
nebula, a supernova remnant, was first discovered in 1054 by Chinese
astronomers. It is located in the constellation Taurus.
The
data for this image was obtained using the MegaCam camera on the
Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. The 3.6 meter telescope sits atop Mauna Kea, a
dormant Hawaiian volcano rising 13,700 feet (4,200 meters) above the Pacific Ocean.
The
Mauna Kea volcano is located on the Big Island in Hawaii. The observatories
on Mauna Kea benefit from the high altitude (13,700 feet or 4,200 meters),
which provides a clearer and dryer atmosphere, a darker sky, more clear nights
per year and, most importantly, sharper images thanks to low atmospheric
turbulence at the top of the mountain.
This
image was provided by Jean-Charles Cuillandre of the Canada-France-Hawaii
Telescope.
--Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope/Coelum and SPACE.com
Staff
Credit: Canada-France-Hawaii
Telescope/Coelum
Return each weekday for a new SPACE.com Image of the Day.
| 
