The Mysterious Rings of Supernova 1987A
Explanation:
What's causing those odd rings in
supernova 1987A?
In 1987, the brightest
supernova
in recent history occurred in the
Large Magellanic Clouds. At the
center of the picture is an object central to the remains of the violent
stellar explosion. When the
Hubble Space Telescope was pointed at the
supernova remnant
in 1994, however, the existence of
curious
rings was
confirmed.
The
origins of these rings still remains a mystery. Speculation into the cause
of the rings includes
beamed jets emanating from a dense star left over
from the supernova, and a
superposition of two stellar winds ionized by the
supernova explosion.
Meanwhile, astronomers have just reported the possible appearance of a
new
ring feature.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
