The frightening light of a star destroyed long ago by a supernova explosion appears in this image of the Crab Nebula captured by NASA Hubble. But don't let this image fool you; despite its frightening appearance, there is still a stirring of life inside. The heart of the exploding star, hidden in the centre, continues to beat in a rhythmic pattern.

This ‘heart’ is the dense core left behind after the explosion. This core, called a neutron star, has the same mass as the Sun, but is compressed into an extremely dense sphere only a few miles across. The bright, star-like little power source at the centre of the image is the nebula's sign of life.

Image description:

Swirls of bright green hues fill this space landscape. The bright ‘heart’ of the Crab Nebula can be seen in the centre. Stars dot the sky in the distance.

 

Credits: NASA and ESA

Doesn't it look like the bad smell fumes in cartoons?