Astronomy Picture of the Day
    


The Mysterious Rings of Supernova 1987A
<< Yesterday 6.02.2000 Tomorrow >>
The Mysterious Rings of Supernova 1987A
Credit & Copyright: C. Burrows (ESA/ STScI), HST, NASA
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.

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
 < February 2000  >
Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su

123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
2829




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.

Based on Astronomy Picture Of the Day

Publications with keywords: SN 1987a - supernova remnant - supernova
Publications with words: SN 1987a - supernova remnant - supernova
See also:
All publications on this topic >>