SN 1987a in the Large Magellanic Cloud
Glittering stars and wisps of gas create a breathtaking backdrop for the self-destruction of a massive star, called supernova 1987A, in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a nearby galaxy. Astronomers in the Southern hemisphere witnessed the brilliant explosion of this star on Feb. 23, 1987.
Shown in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image, the supernova remnant, surrounded by inner and outer rings of material, is set in a forest of ethereal, diffuse clouds of gas. This three-color image is composed of several pictures of the supernova and its neighboring region taken with the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 in Sept. 1994, Feb. 1996 and July 1997.
Credit:
About the Image
NASA press release
NASA caption
NASA caption
| Id: | opo9904a |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 4 February 1999, 06:00 |
| Size: | 1334 x 1474 px |
About the Object
| Name: | SN 1987A |
| Type: | • Local Universe : Star : Evolutionary Stage : Supernova • Local Universe : Nebula : Type : Supernova Remnant • Nebulae Images/Videos |
| Distance: | 170000 light years |
Colours & filters
| Band | Telescope |
| Optical B |
Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 |
| Optical Oiii |
Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 |
| Optical V |
Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 |
| Optical H-alpha |
Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 |
| Optical R |
Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 |
