蟹状星云（M1，NGC 1952或金牛座 A）是位于金牛座ζ星（天关）东北面的一个超新星残骸和脉冲风星云。蟹状星云距地球约6,500光年（2,000秒差距），直径达11光年（3.4秒差距），并以每秒约1,500公里的速度膨胀。它是银河系英仙臂的一部分。

该星云由约翰·贝维斯于1731年发现，它对应于中国、阿拉伯和日本天文学家于公元1054年记录的一次超新星爆发（编号SN 1054，中国称天关客星）。1969年天文学家发现星云的中心是一颗脉冲星，它的直径约28–30公里，每秒自转30.2次，并发射出从γ射线到无线电波的宽频率范围电磁波。它也是首颗被确认为历史上超新星爆发遗迹的天体。

The Crab Nebula (catalogue designations M1, NGC 1952, Taurus A) is a supernova remnant and pulsar wind nebula in the constellation of Taurus. It is not, as its name might suggest, in Cancer. The now-current name is due to William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, who observed the object in 1840 using a 36-inch telescope and produced a drawing that looked somewhat like a crab. Corresponding to a bright supernova recorded by Chinese astronomers in 1054, the nebula was observed later by English astronomer John Bevis in 1731. The nebula was the first astronomical object identified with a historical supernova explosion.