HOW BIG
DiscoverNebulae

Nebulae

Crab Nebula: size, dimension and comparison

The adopted reference is about 10.993 light-years.

approximate extent

A light-year is a distance: how far light travels in one year. It is used for distances between stars.

The remains of a stellar explosion observed in 1054.

Explore at this scale
Crab Nebula, interpreted illustration
Interpreted illustration · dimension stated in the fact sheet.

What does this number measure?

The remains of a stellar explosion observed in 1054. The Crab Nebula contains a pulsar and expanding filaments of matter. The illustration's colours interpret different emissions and do not constitute a natural-light photograph.

Compare the stated dimensions

The comparison uses the number in each fact sheet: altitude, height, diameter, length or distance, depending on the reference. Two values in metres do not necessarily describe the same property.

Compare with Orion Nebula in the explorer →

Source and limitations

Catalogue order of magnitude; a source is provided, but this measurement has not been individually audited.

Crab Nebula: interpretation of the filamentary remnant in emission colours; approximate luminous extent.

Illustration sources

How Big — generated illustration; NASA/ESA documentary references.

Source coverage: Interpreted reconstruction; brightness, colours and textures are not an observation. Only the designated dimension uses the catalogue's representative value.

How Big — generated illustration; NASA/ESA documentary references.

Source coverage: Interpreted reconstruction; brightness, colours and textures are not an observation. Only the designated dimension uses the catalogue's representative value.