Astronomy Picture of the Day: Supernova 1987A

 

#Hubble, #NASA, #Space

Since 1990, Hubble has observed Supernova 1987A. This wide-field view shows a bright ring around the central region of the exploded star that's made of material cast off by the star about 20,000 years before its death. Working with observatories like the Spitzer Space Telescope and

@chandraxray

, Hubble's repeated observations of this fascinating target helped shed light on the final stages of stellar evolution. Learn more about 30 years' worth of SN 1987A studies!

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/the-dawn-of-a-new-era-for-supernova-1987a/