Hubble image of SNR 1987A
Date: 17 October 2012
Satellite: Hubble
Depicts: Supernova remnant 1987A
Copyright: ESA/Hubble & NASA
This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows the remnant of supernova SN 1987A, first detected in February 1987. The source is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, one of the Milky Way's satellite galaxies, at a distance of about 166,000 light-years.
Dominating this optical image of the remnant are two glowing loops of stellar material and a very bright ring surrounding the dying central star. For the past 25 years, this source has been providing astronomers with plenty of data to test theoretical predictions about supernovae and their aftermath in great detail.
The field of view is approximately 25 by 25 arcseconds.
Last Update: 1 September 2019
