WATCH: The expansion of the Crab Nebula

Thursday, August 1, 2013, 4:02 PM -

Located some 6,500 light years away in the constellation Taurus, lies the Crab Nebula, the remnants of an exploded star.

The light from this interstellar incident reached Earth in the year 1054 -- and astronomers have been studying it ever since.

It's expanding at a rate of 1,500 kilometres per second, which is incredibly fast -- but due to its size and distance, changes appear to be invisible.

Until now, anyway.

Astronomer Adam Block has created a video that compares 2012 observations with data compiled in 1999. 

The clip shows an obvious expansion over a short period of time, and it's awe-inspiring.

If you're ready to have your breath taken away, click on this video: