Supernova remannt SN 1987A, 1994 to 2016, montage of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images. This supernova explosion was first observed in 1987 and is a

---

Supernova remannt SN 1987A, 1994 to 2016, montage of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images. This supernova explosion was first observed in 1987 and is among the brightest supernova within the last 400 years. The HST began observing the aftermath of the explosion shortly after it was launched in 1990. The growing number of bright spots on the ring is due to shock waves of material hitting the ring, causing areas to glow. The ring, about one light year across, was probably shed by the star about 20,000 years before the star exploded. SN 1987A is some 170,000 light years from Earth, in the constellation of Dorado. Image published in 2017.

---

Size: 4200px × 2178px
Photo credit: © NASA/ESA/STScI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: -, 1987a, 6, 2017, astronomical, astronomy, astrophysical, astrophysics, dorado, expanding, hst, hubble, montage, optical, remnant, ring, sequence, series, shell, shock, shockwave, sn, space, supernova, telescope, time-lapse, timelapse, universe, visible, wave