The universe has been around for a long time that there are many stars that have been around for as long as it has. A number of these stars are already dying or have exploded in a great supernova, leaving its core behind. One of those remnants is in the Crab Nebula. The dead star in space is still glowing, making astronomers wonder, is it still alive?
The Crab Nebula is one of the most well-known objects in space. Astronomers regularly look into it to study it. NASA's Hubble space telescope has viewed the Crab Nebula, and at its center is the glowing remnant of a star. It is called a neutron star, and it is said to still beat with precision.
A neutron star is the remnant of a star, though not exactly a dead star in space. The neutron star in the Crab Nebula has the mass of the Sun, but it has been crushed into a dense mass that is only a few miles across, as Phys Org notes. This means the neutron star has a gravitational pull much stronger than the Sun even though it is far smaller.
While it might be small, it is no less dynamic. The neutron star is still spinning 30 times a second, as Science Daily reports. Along with its large gravitational pull, it has a magnetic field that generates one trillion volts. This magnetic field sends out a ring of magnetic wave around it which expands gradually.
The Crab Nebula has been famous since earlier times. It was first mentioned in 1054 A.D. when Chinese astronomers recorded it as a guest star that appeared for 23 days. The event likely was a supernova, as it appeared much brighter than Venus. Others like the Japanese and Native Americans have also seen the event.
The Crab Nebula is a sight that even most amateur astronomers can view with a telescope. It is a sight that still fascinates people, though most won't be able to see the center which is a dead star in space that is still glowing. It a star that, even though it is the remnant, is still alive in some way. Earlier heartbeat stars have been studied more closely.
