A combination of images from radio, infrared, optical, ultraviolet and gamma-ray observatories have been combined to create this unique, comprehensive view of the Crab Nebula: the result of a star that exploded almost 1000 years ago. Image credit: NASA, ESA, G. Dubner (IAFE, CONICET-University of Buenos Aires) et al.; A. Loll et al.; T. Temim et al.; F. Seward et al.; VLA/NRAO/AUI/NSF; Chandra/CXC; Spitzer/JPL-Caltech; XMM-Newton/ESA; and Hubble/STScI.

Spectacular new Crab Nebula images close in on its final secrets

Five independent images point to an incredible, single story, but the mystery of how it was created still remains.

“The origin and evolution of life are connected in the most intimate way with the origin and evolution of the stars.” -Carl Sagan

Thousands of light years away, the death throes of a massive star culminated in a catastrophic supernova explosion. In the year 1054, that light finally made it to Earth, outshining all the stars and planets in the sky and becoming visible during the day. Some 700 years later, after the invention of the telescope, astronomers identified a faint, fuzzy blob in the sky where that star once resided: the Crab Nebula. Over the centuries, improved historical records, alongside new measurements, observations, and multi-wavelength studies led us to understand the story of this fantastic object as never before. Earlier this week, the last piece of the puzzle — a high-resolution image at the longest wavelengths possible — finally came together in beautiful, spectacular fashion.