SN 1987A

Supernovae and Novae

SN 1987A was a Type II supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud, about 51.4 kiloparsecs from Earth. Light and neutrinos from the explosion reached Earth on February 23, 1987. As the first supernova discovered that year, it was designated SN 1987A. It became a major subject of modern study, providing direct evidence that radioactive nuclei power the long-lasting visible glow of supernovae. Later observations found indirect evidence of a collapsed neutron star in its remnants.

Type: Type II supernova
Earth arrival: February 23, 1987
Later evidence: Indirect evidence for a collapsed neutron star was reported in 2019.

Sources and credits

Article: SN 1987A (English Wikipedia)
Wikidata: Q584905
Text: Card text is adapted from the English Wikipedia article by an automated summary. Wikipedia content is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for its contributors. CC BY-SA 4.0 · Article history and contributors
Illustration: By NASA Goddard Space Flight Center from Greenbelt, MD, USA. Public domain · File page on Wikimedia Commons
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center from Greenbelt, MD, USA, New Hubble Observations of Supernova 1987A Trace Shock Wave
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