description SN 1987A Nebula Overview
The light of supernova SN 1987A reached Earth in February 1987 from the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. The Type II explosion marked the death of a massive star and became the closest supernova observed since the invention of the telescope. Its relative proximity has allowed astronomers to follow the developing remnant over decades, connecting observations of the original explosion with changes in its aftermath. Images show expanding stellar debris surrounded by rings of gas that the star expelled before it exploded.
Shock waves interacting with this older material produce changing emission, making the system an active subject of study rather than a static nebula. Neutrinos detected from the event supported models of stellar core collapse. It is especially useful to readers interested in how repeated observations reveal the physical development of a supernova remnant.
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When did the SN 1987A supernova occur?
SN 1987A was a Type II supernova that occurred in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, in February 1987. It was the closest observed supernova since the invention of the telescope, providing astronomers with an unprecedented opportunity to study a stellar explosion.
Why was SN 1987A so important to astronomers?
Because it was located only about 168,000 light-years away, SN 1987A allowed scientists to study the mechanics of a supernova in real-time. It famously provided astrophysicists with the first direct opportunity to detect neutrinos from a supernova blast.
What surrounds the SN 1987A remnant today?
The SN 1987A remnant is famously surrounded by a set of three glowing gas rings, which were ejected by the progenitor star thousands of years before the explosion. Over the decades, the expanding shockwave from the supernova has violently collided with the inner ring, heating the gas and causing it to brightly illuminate.
What type of star caused SN 1987A?
The supernova was caused by the core-collapse of a massive blue supergiant star, which was previously cataloged as Sanduleak -69° 202. Astronomers were initially surprised by this, as blue supergiants were not widely expected to go supernova in standard theoretical models of stellar evolution.
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