APOD: 2020 September 6 - M1: The Crab Nebula from Hubble

Good afternoon, Rallypoint. Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) is titled "M1: The Crab Nebula from Hubble." Located in the constellation Taurus some 6,500 light years away, the Crab Nebula is designated Messier 1 (M1). It was in searching in vain for Halley's Comet in 1758 that Charles Messier found the Crab Nebula, and after realizing that it was not moving (he first thought it was a comet), he then realized the usefulness of compiling a catalogue of celestial objects of a 'fixed' but 'cloudy nature.' We thus have the Messier Catalog.

The Crab Nebula is the after-effect of a supernova first recorded by Chinese astronomers on July 4, 1054. Recent analysis of historical records have found that the supernova that created the Crab Nebula probably appeared in April or early May, rising to its maximum brightness by July. and was visible to the naked eye for almost two years. Thanks to the recorded observations of Far Eastern and Middle Eastern astronomers of 1054, the Crab Nebula is the first astronomical object recognized as being connected to a supernova explosion.