Massachusetts, United States

Decades can sometimes pass in the blink of an eye, or about 20 seconds. NASA has released two dramatic time-lapses of two of the most famous objects in the sky, compressing 20 years into just 20 seconds.

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The time-lapses are of Cassiopeia A and the Crab Nebula, both leftovers of massive stars going supernova in our galaxy.

'Grab your popcorn' for the mesmerising time-lapse videos

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory recorded the mesmerising time-lapse videos. Posting them on social media, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) wrote: "Grab your popcorn".

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Watch the gorgeous videos here:

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The Crab Nebula, as per NASA, was born from a supernova seen by Chinese astronomers and witnessed globally nearly a thousand years ago in 1054. 

"At its centre is a neutron star, a super-dense star produced by the supernova. As it rotates at about 30 times per second, its beam of radiation passes over the Earth every orbit, like a cosmic lighthouse," explains NASA.

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Chandra has been closely monitoring them from 2000 to 2022. This ongoing study is set to continue later this year.

On the other hand, Cassiopeia A (Cas A) is a younger supernova remnant, estimated to have exploded about 340 years ago. 

Chandra has been observing it for years. The time-lapse features data from 2000 to 2019. Chandra's discovery of a neutron star at the heart of Cassiopeia A shortly after its 1999 launch has been crucial in deepening our understanding of how stars explode and form neutron stars or pulsars.

Scientists race to save Chandra

These gorgeous time-lapses come as the craft which was launched in 1999 becomes the subject of pay cuts that X-ray astronomers in the US contend would effectively mean the end of the mission.

NASA claims that the craft "has been degrading over its mission lifetime to the extent that several systems require active management…increasing management costs beyond what NASA can afford." However, researchers contend that Chandra "has plenty of life left in it."

(With inputs from agencies)