Hubble and Webb’s views of the Crab Nebula

The first image shown in this video is the 2005 Hubble optical wavelength image of the Crab Nebula. This is followed by a new image of the object from the James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) instruments that has revealed new details in infrared light.

In Webb’s infrared observation, a crisp, cage-like structure of fluffy red-orange filaments and knots of dust surround the object’s central area. However, some aspects of the inner workings of the Crab Nebula become more prominent and increase in detail in infrared light. In particular, Webb highlights what is known as synchrotron emission, seen here with a milky smoke-like appearance throughout the majority of the Crab Nebula’s interior.

We invite you to use the slider tool to further inspect the details of these images.