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The Dawn of a New Era for Supernova 1987a
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Space / 2017-12-08

The Dawn of a New Era for Supernova 1987a

The Dawn of a New Era for Supernova 1987a

NASA's image library records The Dawn of a New Era for Supernova 1987a.

WHY IT’S INTERESTING

Three decades ago, astronomers spotted one of the brightest exploding stars in more than 400 years. The titanic supernova, called Supernova 1987A (SN 1987A), blazed with the power of 100 million suns for several months following its discovery on Feb. 23, 1987. Since that first sighting, SN 1987A has continued to fascinate astronomers with its spect

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A CLOSER LOOK

Three decades ago, astronomers spotted one of the brightest exploding stars in more than 400 years. The titanic supernova, called Supernova 1987A (SN 1987A), blazed with the power of 100 million suns for several months following its discovery on Feb. 23, 1987. Since that first sighting, SN 1987A has continued to fascinate astronomers with its spectacular light show. Located in the nearby Large Magellanic Cloud, it is the nearest supernova explosion observed in hundreds of years and the best opportunity yet for astronomers to study the phases before, during, and after the death of a star. "The 30 years' worth of observations of SN 1987A are important because they provide insight into the last stages of stellar evolution," said Robert Kirshner of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for

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FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE

NASA Image and Video LibraryThe Dawn of a New Era for Supernova 1987a

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