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# Long description

Six images of the Crab nebula are shown, each showing how it appears using different wavelengths of light. From left to right, the captions read ‘radio’, ‘infrared’, ‘visible light’, ‘ultraviolet’, ‘X-rays’ and ‘gamma rays’.

The visible light image is dominated by an irregular, honeycomb-like structure. A diffuse cloud lies hidden within this structure. In the infrared and ultraviolet images, this cloud can be more easily seen.

The radio image is shown in false colour, where blacks and blues show faint emission, and yellows and reds show strong emission. The full nebula can be seen here, but the central cloud shines brightly.

The X-ray image shows an inclined disc, made up of several rings. At the centre is a bright point, out of which jets are appearing. Swirls of emission surround these features. These features are barely visible in the ultraviolet images, and cannot be seen in other wavelengths.

Finally, the gamma ray image shows only a point source at the centre of the nebula.