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The Crab Nebula is a supernova remnant and pulsar wind nebula in the constellation of Taurus.
The nebula was first observed in the western world in 1731 by John Bevis,
and corresponds to a bright supernova that was recorded by Chinese and Arab astronomers in 1054.
Located at a distance of about 6,300 light years (2 kpc) from Earth,
the nebula has a diameter of 11 ly (3.4 pc) and is expanding at a rate of about
1,500 kilometers per second.
At the center of the nebula lies the Crab Pulsar, a rotating neutron star,
which emits pulses of radiation from gamma rays to radio waves with a spin rate of 30.2
times per second.
The nebula was the first astronomical object identified with a historical supernova explosion.
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