Supernova SN 1987A. Sequence of images taken in ultraviolet light by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) of the supernova SN 1987A. The supernova is the

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Supernova SN 1987A. Sequence of images taken in ultraviolet light by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) of the supernova SN 1987A. The supernova is the round object visible at the centre of each frame found between two brighter stars (bottom left and top right). In a supernova explosion the star's centre collapses in a few seconds and a wave of energy blows the star apart creating a remnant composed of gas and debris from the original star. The images were taken before the HST optics were serviced in order to remove the spherical aberration which created the spurious circular features around the brighter stars.

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Size: 4902px × 3921px
Photo credit: © NASA/ESA/STSCI/P.JAKOBSEN ET AL/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 1987a, astronomy, cosmology, death, hst, hubble, image, imagery, images, science, sn, sn1987a, star, stellar, supernova, ultraviolet