A Strange Supernova with a Gamma-Ray Burst

The image shows a colour composite of three images obtained with the EMMI multi-mode instrument at the ESO 3.58-m New Technology Telescope (NTT) at La Silla on May 4, 1998. The short exposures were obtained through V (green), R (red) and I (near-infrared) filtres. The new supernova, SN 1998bw, is the very bright, bluish star at the center (indicated with an arrow), located on an arm of spiral galaxy ESO 184-G82 . There are several other galaxies in the field.