Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Halo around the Crab Nebula

Nature volume 294, pages 543–544 (1981)Cite this article

Abstract

It has been argued1 that the supernova of AD 1054 which left the Crab Nebula supernova remnant was of Type II. Such super-novae occur in the spiral arms of galaxies and are believed to have initial masses of >4M⊙. The helium overabundance detected in the Crab Nebula filaments is compatible2 with an initial stellar core mass of 2–4 M⊙ corresponding to a total precursor mass of 10–15 M⊙. The Crab Nebula as usually depicted consists of filaments of total mass 2–3 M⊙ and a pulsar of 1.4 M⊙. If the precursor of SN1054 was heavier than ∼4 M⊙, its outer envelope could be detectable1 as an extended halo around the Crab Nebula. We have detected such an outer halo, whose size implies that the progenitor of SN1054 was indeed a massive star.

Access through your institution
Buy or subscribe

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Access through your institution

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Chevalier, R. Supernovae (ed. Schramm, D.) 53 (Reidel, Dordrecht 1977).

  2. Arnett, W. D. Astrophys. J. 195, 727 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. van den Bergh, S. Astrophys. J. Lett. 160, L27 (1970).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Bessell, M. Publ. astr. Soc. Pacif. 91, 603 (1979).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Allen, C. W. Astrophysical Quantities, 3rd edn (Athlone, London, 1974).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Toor, A., Palmieri, T. M. & Seward, F. D. Astrophys. J. 207, 96 (1976).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Scargle, J. D. Publ. astr. Soc. Pacif. 82, 388 (1970).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Royal Greenwich Observatory, Herstmonceux Castle, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 1RP, UK

    Paul Murdin

  2. Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX, UK

    David H. Clark

Authors
  1. Paul Murdin
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David H. Clark
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Murdin, P., Clark, D. Halo around the Crab Nebula. Nature 294, 543–544 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/294543a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/294543a0

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing