Object Analysis

Supernova 1987A was a type II supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. It occurred approximately 51.4 kiloparsecs (168,000 ly) from Earth. It was the closest observed supernova since SN 1604 (Kepler's Supernova).

The light from the explosion reached Earth on February 23, 1987. It was the first opportunity for modern astronomers to see a supernova up close. Neutrino detectors on Earth recorded a burst of neutrinos hours before the visible light arrived, confirming theories that core collapse occurs before the shockwave tears the star apart.

The remnant is famous for its "string of pearls" ring structure—glowing rings of gas that were ejected by the progenitor star (Sanduleak -69 202) about 20,000 years before it exploded. The shockwave from the supernova is now colliding with this ring, causing it to glow brightly in X-rays.