Chandra/Hubble composite image of SN1987A
This Chandra X-ray image of SN 1987A made in January 2000 shows an expanding shell of hot gas produced by the supernova explosion. The colors represent different intensities of X-ray emission, with white being the brightest. Also shown are the contours from a Hubble Space Telescope optical image taken on 2 February 2000.

Scale: The optical ring is 1.2 x 1.6 arcsec, corresponding to 1.0 x 1.3 light years
(Credit: X-ray: NASA/PSU/D.Burrows et al.; Optical: NASA/CfA/P.Challis et al.)

Four Recent Images of SN1987A
Upper left: Hubble Space Telescope optical image taken 2 February 2000;
Upper right: Australian Telescope Compact Array radio image from 9 September 1999;
Lower right: Chandra image from 17 January 2000;
Lower left: Chandra image from 6 October 1999.

(Credit: Optical: NASA/CfA/P.Challis et al; Radio: MIT/ATN/Gaensler & Manchester; X-ray: NASA/PSU/D. Burrows et al.)

Chandra X-ray Image with Scale Bar
Scale bar = 1 arcsec

(Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO/PSU/D. Burrows et al)