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SN 1987a in the Large Magellanic Cloud

SN 1987a in the Large Magellanic Cloud


Depicts: SN 1987a, The Large Magellanic Cloud
Copyright: Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STScI/NASA)

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.

Last Update: 1 September 2019
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25-Nov-2024 16:28 UT

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