本週太空照片：詹姆斯韋伯望遠鏡和錢德拉 X 射線天文台聯手拍攝蟹狀星雲

這張新的合成圖像結合了詹姆斯韋伯太空望遠鏡 (JWST) 和錢德拉 X 射線天文台的數據，揭示了有關緻密中子星的更多信息

The Crab Nebula (also called M1) is a supernova remnant located 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Taurus. It is one of the brightest supernova remnants in the night sky and is easily visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

蟹狀星雲（也稱為 M1）是位於金牛座 6,500 光年之外的超新星遺跡。它是夜空中最亮的超新星遺跡之一，用雙筒望遠鏡或小型望遠鏡很容易看到。

The Crab Nebula was created by the supernova SN 1054, which was observed by astronomers in China and Korea in A.D. 1054. The supernova was so bright that it was visible during the day for several weeks. It is also thought to have been depicted on a rare Byzantine coin as well as by Puebloan people in a "supernova pictograph" at Chaco Canyon in New Mexico.

蟹狀星雲是由超新星 SN 1054 產生的，中國和韓國的天文學家在公元 1054 年觀測到了它。人們還認為，它被描繪在一枚罕見的拜占庭硬幣上，以及普韋布洛人在新墨西哥州查科峽谷的“超新星象形文字”中。

The supernova left behind a dense neutron star, which is surrounded by a nebula of gas. The neutron star is rotating around 30 times per second and is sending out a beam of radiation on every rotation, a bit like a lighthouse. This radiation is what creates the Crab Nebula's characteristic pulsar wind nebula.

超新星留下了一顆緻密的中子星，它被氣體星雲包圍。中子星每秒旋轉約 30 次，每次旋轉都會發出一束輻射，有點像燈塔。這種輻射形成了蟹狀星雲特有的脈衝星風星雲。

The Crab Nebula has been extensively studied by astronomers over the years. In 2024, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) imaged the Crab Nebula in infrared light, revealing new details about the dense neutron star at the center of the nebula. The image also showed the supernova remnant's interaction with the surrounding interstellar medium.

多年來，天文學家對蟹狀星雲進行了廣泛的研究。 2024 年，詹姆斯韋伯太空望遠鏡 (JWST) 在紅外光下對蟹狀星雲進行了成像，揭示了有關星雲中心緻密中子星的新細節。該圖像還顯示了超新星遺跡與周圍星際介質的相互作用。

The Chandra X-ray Observatory has also observed the Crab Nebula, capturing repeated observations of the radiation emitted by the neutron star. These observations have shown that the neutron star's energy is producing a shockwave, which is moving through the nebula. The shockwave is visible in the Chandra image as a ring around the neutron star. Jets of X-ray-emitting particles coming from the pulsar's poles are also visible in the image.

錢德拉 X 射線天文台也觀測了蟹狀星雲，反覆觀測到中子星發出的輻射。這些觀測結果表明，中子星的能量正在產生衝擊波，該衝擊波在星雲中移動。在錢德拉影像中可以看到衝擊波是中子星周圍的一個環。影像中還可以看到來自脈衝星兩極的 X 射線發射粒子流。

Chandra's data has also been used to create a time-lapse movie of the Crab Nebula's ring and X-ray jets. The movie, which spans 22 years, shows the X-ray jet's whip-like movement. Astronomers are continuing to collect data on the pulsar and hope to uncover further changes in the coming years.

錢德拉的數據也被用來製作蟹狀星雲環和 X 射線噴流的縮時影片。這部跨越22年的電影展示了X射線噴射機的鞭子般的運動。天文學家正在繼續收集有關脈衝星的數據，並希望在未來幾年發現進一步的變化。