Light echoes from SN 1987A

Eso_12_sn-1987a_cc_1024

eso_12_sn-1987a_cc March 12th, 2010

Credit: ESO

This image, taken with NTT and EMMI in January 1992, shows light echoes from supernova SN 1987A. The light echoes are seen as two concentric rings on the interstellar matter around the exploded star. Since the outburst of SN 1987A, light echoes have been used as an efficient way of studying the structure of the interstellar medium close to the supernova. SN 1987A, detected in the nearby Large Magellanic Cloud, was the closest explosion of this kind for several centuries, the first visible by naked-eye for 383 years and definitely an event of the greatest relevance in modern astronomy. ESO telescopes have been observing this object for more than twenty years. More information in ESO Messenger 67, p37: http://www.eso.org/sci/publications/messenger/archive/no.67-mar92/messenger-no67.pdf

Provider: European Southern Observatory

Image Source: https://www.eso.org/public/images/12_sn-1987a_cc/

Curator: European Southern Observatory, Garching bei München, Germany

Image Use Policy: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

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Image Details Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
SN 1987A
Subject - Local Universe
Star > Evolutionary Stage > Supernova

Color Mapping Details Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Pseudocolor NTT (EMMI) Optical -
Eso_12_sn-1987a_cc_1280
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ID
12_sn-1987a_cc
Subject Category
C.3.1.8  
Subject Name
SN 1987A
Credits
ESO
Release Date
2010-03-12T18:51:44
Lightyears
Redshift
Reference Url
https://www.eso.org/public/images/12_sn-1987a_cc/
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Distance Notes
Facility
New Technology Telescope
Instrument
EMMI
Color Assignment
Pseudocolor
Band
Optical
Bandpass
Central Wavelength
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
Equinox
Reference Value
Reference Dimension
Reference Pixel
Scale
Rotation
Coordinate System Projection:
Quality
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
European Southern Observatory
URL
http://www.eso.org/
Name
Email
Telephone
Address
Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2
City
Garching bei München
State/Province
Postal Code
D-85748
Country
Germany
Rights
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Publisher
European Southern Observatory
Publisher ID
eso
Resource ID
12_sn-1987a_cc
Resource URL
https://www.eso.org/public/archives/images/original/12_sn-1987a_cc.tif
Related Resources
Metadata Date
2010-06-07T16:47:24+02:00
Metadata Version
1.1
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