Simeis 147, also known as the Spaghetti Nebula, SNR G180.0-01.7 or Sharpless 2-240, is a supernova remnant (SNR) in the Milky Way, straddling the border between the constellations Auriga and Taurus. It was discovered in 1952 at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory by Grigory Shajn and his team using a Schmidt camera and a narrowband filter close to the Hydrogen Alpha transmission line. It is difficult to observe due to its extremely low surface brightness. This discovery was part of a survey conducted between 1945 and 1955, most likely using captured German equipment, as the observatory was practically destroyed during WWII. The Schmidt camera had a field of view of 175'. Many previously unknown hydrogen nebula were discovered this way, as they are not readily visible in regular photographs.

Quick Facts Event type, Date ...

Simeis 147

The supernova remnant nebula from Simeis 147 or the Spaghetti Nebula.
Event type	Supernova remnant
Unknown
Date	1952[1]
Constellation	Taurus
Right ascension	05h 39m 06s
Declination	+27° 59′ 55″
Epoch	J2000
Galactic coordinates	Unknown
Distance	3,000 light-years (0.92 kpc)
Remnant	Mixed-morphology
Host	Milky way
Progenitor	Unknown
Progenitor type	Unknown
Colour (B-V)	Unknown
Peak apparent magnitude	6.5
Other designations	3FHL J0537.6+2751e, 2FGL J0538.1+2718, 3FGL J0540.3+2756e, 2FHL J0534.1+2753
Related media on Commons
[edit on Wikidata]

Close

The nebulous area has an almost spherical shell and a filamentary structure.^[2] The remnant has an apparent diameter of approximately 3 degrees, an estimated distance of approximately 3000 (±350) light-years, and an age of approximately 40,000 years.^[3] At that distance, it spans roughly 160 lightyears.

It is believed that the stellar explosion left behind a rapidly spinning neutron star known as pulsar PSR J0538+2817 in the nebula core, emitting a strong radio signal.^[4]