1987-A Supernova

Supernova 1987-A

Image Description:

     This Hubble Space Telescope image shows the Supernova 1987A with Large Magellanic cloud, a neighbouring galaxy to our Milkyway galaxy.

About Supernova 1987A:

     This Supernova 1987A is located at the center of the image. There is a bright ring around the central region of the exploded star which is composed of material ejected by star. The material is about 20,000 years before its demise. Gaseous clouds surround the supernova, the red colour represents the glow of hydrogen gas, which is fueling a firestorm of star birth.

Discovery:

     Supernova 1987A was discovered in 1987, and Hubble began observing the exploded star in the early 1990s. This latest view was taken by Hubble Wide Field Camera 3 in January 2017. The colors of the foreground and background stars were added from observations taken by Hubble Wide Field Planetary Camera 2. This supernova 1987A resides 163,000 light years away from our Earth.

Credits:

Image Credit: NASA / ESA Hubble Space Telescope

Observing Credit : R.Kirshner, M.Mutchler and R.Avila.