Revolutionary Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer captures unprecedented view of historic nebula.

NASA's Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) has created a detailed map of the Crab Nebula's magnetic field, revealing more of its inner workings than ever before. The new results help resolve longstanding mysteries about the well-studied Crab Nebula and open new questions for future study. IXPE data show that the Crab Nebula's magnetic field resembles that of the Vela Pulsar Wind Nebula, which is also donut-shaped. But at the Crab, scientists were surprised that areas of magnetic field turbulence were more patchy and asymmetrical than expected.