本周太空照片：詹姆斯·韦伯望远镜和钱德拉 X 射线天文台联手拍摄蟹状星云

这张新的合成图像结合了詹姆斯·韦伯太空望远镜 (JWST) 和钱德拉 X 射线天文台的数据，揭示了有关致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.

蟹状星云（也称为 M1）是位于金牛座 6,500 光年之外的超新星遗迹。它是夜空中最亮的超新星遗迹之一，用双筒望远镜或小型望远镜很容易看到。

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.

蟹状星云是由超新星 SN 1054 产生的，中国和韩国的天文学家在公元 1054 年观测到了它。这颗超新星非常明亮，以至于在几周内白天都可见。人们还认为，它被描绘在一枚罕见的拜占庭硬币上，以及普韦布洛人在新墨西哥州查科峡谷的“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.

超新星留下了一颗致密的中子星，它被气体星云包围。中子星每秒旋转约 30 次，每次旋转都会发出一束辐射，有点像灯塔。这种辐射形成了蟹状星云特有的脉冲星风星云。

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.

多年来，天文学家对蟹状星云进行了广泛的研究。 2024 年，詹姆斯·韦伯太空望远镜 (JWST) 在红外光下对蟹状星云进行了成像，揭示了有关星云中心致密中子星的新细节。该图像还显示了超新星遗迹与周围星际介质的相互作用。

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.

钱德拉 X 射线天文台还观测了蟹状星云，反复观测到中子星发出的辐射。这些观测表明，中子星的能量正在产生冲击波，该冲击波在星云中移动。在钱德拉图像中可以看到冲击波是中子星周围的一个环。图像中还可以看到来自脉冲星两极的 X 射线发射粒子流。

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.

钱德拉的数据还被用来制作蟹状星云环和 X 射线喷流的延时电影。这部跨越22年的电影展示了X射线喷射机的鞭子般的运动。天文学家正在继续收集有关脉冲星的数据，并希望在未来几年发现进一步的变化。