About Crab Nebula (M1)

Crab Nebula is frequently observed by amateur astronomers and shows up as a faint patch of light. It has moderate brightness.

Current visibility

Right now it is at about 23° altitude and reaches 68° around 01:59 PM.

It stays above 30° for roughly 8 hours.

Observing conditions matter, fine detail requires darker skies.

Observing tips

This object is better suited for experienced observers.

What to expect

In small telescopes it remains mostly unresolved.

It offers less structure than some of the brightest galaxies.

Type

Supernova Remnant

Constellation

Taurus

Distance

6300 ly

Size

6.0' x 4.0'

Season

Winter

Difficulty

Moderate

Magnitude

8.4