Looking back in Time
February 23rd 2008 08:13
M1 The Crab Nebular: image NASA
Every time you look at the night sky you are looking back in time.
The remains of a spectacular explosion of a supernova within the Crab Nebular (M1) recorded by the Chinese in 1054 has pulsar in its centre spinning at the rate of 30 times per second. The light or (ancient photons as I like to call them) left the nebular some 6500 years ago, which takes as back to year 4493 BC. There is a suggestion according in ancient chronicles that early Mesopotamian cultures in now present day Iraq and also in some parts of Egypt near the Nile were entering the Neolithic age.
Stonehenge ( C) Daveahern
The M1 is referred to Charles Messier a French astronomer who first cataloged the objects referred to as nebulas. In 1757, Messier was looking for comets although he did eventually discover a comet in his diaries he catalogued what he called nuisance objects small fuzzy looking patches of light. M1 is called the crab nebular. The Orion Nebula Messier 42. The Messier objects are still in common use by astronomers today.
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