Go / no go for deep skyGo / no go for deep sky imaging
Crab Nebula (M1)
supernova remnant in Taurus
The Crab Nebula is the remains of a star that exploded in the year 1054, recorded by astronomers in China and elsewhere. At its center sits a pulsar spinning about thirty times a second. The nebula is small but bright, with a network of fine filaments around a smooth blue glow.
Save your telescope or lens on the planner to lay your camera frame over this diagram.
// Key facts
- Catalog
- M1
- Type
- supernova remnant
- Constellation
- Taurus
- Size
- 6′ across
- Brightness
- Magnitude 8.4
- Distance
- about 6,500 light-years
- Peak month (any location)
- Dec
- Typical prime months
- Sep to Feb
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Filter
- OIII + Ha narrowband, or a UHC filter
Pick a saved location or share your device location. Your coordinates are used only to calculate tonight and are not stored. To save locations, use the planner.
How to image Crab Nebula
- At 6 arcminutes it is small, so use 1,000 mm or more, and more still to show the filaments.
- Narrowband (Ha and OIII) brings out the red filaments, while broadband shows the smooth blue center.
- Taurus is high in the winter sky from northern sites.
Framing: what focal length?
M1 is small, so a "60% of the frame" focal length would be impractical. Here is how much of an APS-C frame it covers at common long focal lengths; expect to crop.
| Focal length | Share of the frame width |
|---|---|
| 1,000 mm | about 7% |
| 2,000 mm | about 15% |
| 3,000 mm | about 22% |
How high does it climb from your latitude?
The highest point M1 reaches in the sky. Above about 60° is excellent, 30° to 60° is workable, and under 30° you are looking through a lot of air.
| Latitude | Highest point | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 55°N (Scotland, Alaska) | 57° | Workable |
| 45°N (Minneapolis, Milan) | 67° | High in the sky |
| 35°N (Los Angeles, Tokyo) | 77° | High in the sky |
| 25°N (Miami, Cairo) | 87° | High in the sky |
| 35°S (Sydney, Santiago) | 33° | Workable |
Also worth imaging
Want a GO / NO-GO verdict for tonight, with clouds, moon, seeing and a full dark-window timeline?
Open the planner