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Credit & Copyright: P. Garnavich (Harvard CfA)
et al.,
NASA
Explanation:
Fifteen years ago today, the
brightest supernova of modern times
was sighted.
Over time,
astronomers have watched and waited for
the expanding debris from this tremendous stellar
explosion to crash into
previously expelled material.
A clear result of such a collision is demonstrated above
in two frames
recorded by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1994 (left)
and 1997(right).
While the central concentration of
stellar
debris has clearly evolved over this period,
the yellow spot on the ring in the righthand
picture announces the collision of an outward
moving
blast wave with the pre-existing, light-year wide ring.
The collision is occurring at speeds near
60 million kilometers per hour and shock-heats the
ring material causing it to glow.
Astronomers are hopeful that such collisions will
illuminate the interesting past of
SN 1987A, and perhaps provide more clues
about the origin of the mysterious rings.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: supernova - SN 1987a
Publications with words: supernova - SN 1987a
See also:
- APOD: 2023 October 11 Á NGC 1097: Spiral Galaxy with Supernova
- APOD: 2023 July 9 Á Doomed Star Eta Carinae
- APOD: 2023 May 22 Á Supernova Discovered in Nearby Spiral Galaxy M101
- Supernova Cannon Expels Pulsar J0002
- SN Requiem: A Supernova Seen Three Times So Far
- NGC 7814: Little Sombrero with Supernova
- Supernova in NGC 2525