Based on my images for
Crab Nebula (one decade time-lapse movie), I've computed virtual images of the Crab Nebula for a timespan of 150 years.
A correlation algorithm programmed by myself has computed the movement of each single pixel (2073600) over time. For subpixel accuracy the correlation algorithm worked on enlarged images (50 MPixel each). For the error estimation the proper motions of 23 stars were measured from a computed virtual picture for the year 1950 and a real picture of the year 2011. Comparing these 23 proper motions with the Gaia DR2 data gives a mean positional error of only 0.009"/year, this compares to the width of a hair at a distance of 2 km.
The proper motions of so many stars over the period of 150 years are very impressive.
Even the pulsar is moving correctly to the right!
The visual comparison of a computed image for 1973 with a real archive image (taken by Bill Schoening at Kitt Peak National Observatory in 1973) shows good consistency regarding the positions of the stars and the red filaments.
The areas with the white synchrotron radiation are moving too fast and therefore are not rendered correctly. A few stars in these areas are spuriously influenced too.
The video
Crab Nebula (computed Expansion 1950 - 2100) is based too on the 386 real images with a total integration time of 32 hours, recorded in the years 2008 - 2017.
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