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Supernova 1987A:
Twenty Years Since a Spectacular Explosion
February 24, 2007 marks the 20th anniversary of one of the most spectacular events observed by astronomers in modern times, Supernova 1987A. The
destruction of a massive star in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a nearby
galaxy, spawned detailed observations by many different telescopes,
including NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope. The
outburst was visible to the naked eye, and is the brightest known supernova
in almost 400 years.
This composite image shows the effects of a powerful shock wave moving away
from the explosion. Bright spots of X-ray and optical emission arise where
the shock collides with structures in the surrounding gas. These structures
were carved out by the wind from the destroyed star. Hot-spots in the
Hubble image (pink-white) now encircle Supernova 1987A like a necklace of
incandescent diamonds. The Chandra data (blue-purple) reveals
multimillion-degree gas at the location of the optical hot-spots. These
data give valuable insight into the behavior of the doomed star in the
years before it exploded.
| Fast Facts for Supernova 1987A: |
| Credit |
X-ray: NASA/CXC/PSU/S.Park & D.Burrows.; Optical: NASA/STScI/CfA/P.Challis |
| Scale |
Image is 12 arcmin across. |
| Category |
Supernovas & Supernova Remnants |
| Coordinates (J2000) |
RA 05h 35m 28.30s | Dec -69° 16' 1.10" |
| Constellation |
Dorado |
| Observation Date |
January 9, 2005
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| Observation Time |
8 hours |
| Obs. ID |
5579
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| Color Code |
X-ray: blue-purple; Optical: pink-white |
| Instrument |
ACIS |
| Also Known As | Supernova 1987A | | References | S. A. Zhekov, R. McCRay, K. Borkowski, D. Burrows, and S. Park, Chandra Observations of Shock Kinematics in Supernova Remnant 1987A , Astrophysical Journal Letters, Volume 628, pp. L127 L130. 2005 (See also astro-ph/0506443) |
| Distance Estimate |
About 160,000 light years |
| Release Date |
February 22, 2007 |
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