In 1971, a sounding rocket detected polarized X-rays emitted from the Crab Nebula for the first time. More than 50 years later, NASA's Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) has revealed that the magnetic field is donut shaped!
Scientists have used IXPE to create a detailed, nuanced map of the Crab Nebula’s magnetic field, revealing more of its inner workings than ever before.
