358 0 obj
<>
endobj
xref
358 16
0000000016 00000 n
Author of. This results from the detonation of a stellar core one that is left behind after a star like the sun quietly sheds gas at the end of its life. Your support enables us to keep our content free and accessible to the next generation of scientists and engineers. In total, 25 neutrinos were recorded a deluge in neutrino science. It was the closest supernova humanity had seen in centuries. The nebula NGC 2363 shown in the figure below is located within the galaxy NGC 2366 in the constellation Camelopardalis (the Camel). Right now, the high-velocity material emerging from the supernova explosion is overtaking the slower-moving surrounding rings. What is the reason a type-I supernova slows its dimming after about 2 months? Now scientists know why, Newfound bat skeletons are the oldest on record, Period wants to change how you think about menstruation, Estrogen in birth control could be cut way back, a study suggests, Methane may not warm the Earth quite as much as previously thought. This can result in a compact object, such as a, Stars of lower mass, which in their preliminary final stage accrete material as. decay of nickel 56 and cobalt 56 in a supernova remnant. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In a way, this is the end of the beginning, Kirshner says. 20, May 1, 1934, p. 254. doi: 10.1073/pnas.20.5.254. %PDF-1.6
%
This was a significant triumph for science, indeed. Toward the end of March, 1987 (a month after the explosion), all of the energy deposited by the shock had already been used to propel ejecta or escaped as radiation. a movie that illustrates the three-dimensional structure of the rings. Accessibility StatementFor more information contact us atinfo@libretexts.orgor check out our status page at https://status.libretexts.org. Science News was founded in 1921 as an independent, nonprofit source of accurate information on the latest news of science, medicine and technology. These are gargantuan stars. 27, September 1989, p. 629. doi: 10.1146/annurev.aa.27.090189.003213. (SA). The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in Chile, which today combines the power of 66 radio dishes, peered into the heart of the debris with 20 antennas in 2012. for declination) of the supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud, shown before (left) and after the explosion (right). The best known supernova remnant is the Crab Nebula (supernova 1054) in the constellation of Taurus.[7]. SN 1987A taught us that we did not know everything, Kirshner says. [\refcite wa03]). Before dawn on February 24, Ian Shelton, a Canadian astronomer working at an observatory in Chile, pulled a photographic plate from the developer. The collapse of the core continued until the densities rose to several times that of an atomic nucleus. People thought theyd never see this in their lifetime, says George Sonneborn, an astrophysicist at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. (This is because the neutrinos get out of the exploding star more easily than light does, and also because you dont need to wait until nightfall to catch a glimpse of them.) Astrophysical Journal Letters. It occurred after new telescopes, such as Hubble, could observe it very closely. We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. Unfortunately, however, no supernova explosion has been observable in our Galaxy since the invention of the telescope. Updates? . Composite of two public domain NASA images taken from the Hubble Space Telescope. ALMA data (in red) shows newly formed dust in the center of the remnant. Rank each of the above objects in order of, I need help with my last question where it says "Rank the objects above in the word bank in order of increasing mass" Alpha Centauri Jupiter Pluto Andromeda Galaxy Moon Ring Nebula Antennae Galaxy, The nebula NGC 2363 and its host galaxy NGC 2366 in the constellation Camelopardis (the Camel) are moving away from us at 252 km/s. About a million people actually experienced a neutrino interaction within their bodies as a result of the supernova. However, one nearby supernova (SN 1987A) has been observed in a neighboring galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud. On February 24, 1987, the International Astronomical Union sent out a telegram that started as follows: W. Kunkel and B. Madore, Las Campanas Observatory, report the discovery by Ian Shelton, University of Toronto Las Campanas Station, of a mag 5 object, ostensibly a supernova, in the Large Magellanic Cloud at R.A. = 5h35m.4, Decl. (You will need acrobat reader to view this page.). Helium fusion lasted only about 1 million years. Later the clouds broke and Jones was able to estimate a magnitude of 5.1. What made supernova 1987a so useful to study? Another theory describes that the inner ring was formed late in the progenitor's life through a merger with a binary companion. Supernova 1987A appears as a . This independent distance determination to the LMC provided an exciting new check on determining cosmological distances. In addition to being a spectacular show of power, supernovae are the primary suppliers of heavy elements for the universe. The rings were ionized by the ultraviolet flash from the supernova explosion, and consequently began emitting in various emission lines. Supernovae are classified according to the appearance of their spectra, but in this chapter, we will focus on the two main causes of supernovae. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). He soon realized that he had discovered a supernova, one that could be seen with the unaided eye even though it was about 160,000 light-years away. It was the closest observed supernova since Keplers Supernova SN 1604, which occurred in the Milky Way itself.[5]. Sheltons attempts to call the International Astronomical Union in Cambridge, Mass., failed. Since the neutrinos come directly from the heart of the supernova, their energies provided a measure of the temperature of the core as the star was exploding. We also acknowledge previous National Science Foundation support under grant numbers 1246120, 1525057, and 1413739. An explanation for the unexpectedly small size of the progenitor star may be found in the LMC. His careful measurements of the star over a year and a half showed that it was not a comet or something in Earths atmosphere since it did not move relative to the stars. Marsden is in charge of the International Astronomical Union's Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams, a service that keeps astronomers abreast of the latest astronomical discoveries and developments. Get answers and explanations from our Expert Tutors, in as fast as 20 minutes, Exam Chapters 1-5 and 16 for 1303 NA 092721.pdf, HW 1 Adding and Subtracting in Different Bases- Stonebraker.docx, What is the Presidential System Elected President leads the government Separate, Do oil spills cause ocean damage Yes it can coat the animals there and the rocky, 9 x , Summary Motives can be used to explain why people do what they do 3 Big Motives, The attitudes of White Southerners described by Schurz contributed to which of, Carter Nuckols - Q3W7 Wildfire and Air Quality - 708474.docx, VSim Perfusion Guided Medical Questions.pdf, Continue on next page Short Answer Use the map below to answer the following, In the Bohr model, the Paschen series of spectral lines is caused by radiation absorbed or emitted as an electron transitions between the 2 nd excited state and any higher excited state (3rd excited, . E. In some cases, this disk is so hot that it outshines the white dwarf, even in visible light. Its a bit embarrassing, Burrows says. Observations taken the next day in Chile and South Africa showed hydrogen gas hurtling away from the explosion at roughly 30,000 kilometers per second about one-tenth the speed of light. So instead of fading from view in a few months, SN 1987A was steadily energized by the decay of fresh radioactive nickel. In the Large Magellanic Cloud, we already knew its distance. The fact that the supergiant was hotter than expected for an immediate progenitor led to important improvements in supernova theory. Dust production and particle acceleration in supernova 1987a revealed with ALMA. 0000002681 00000 n
Type II explosions, usually fainter than Type I supernovae, typically show a plateau in their light curves. 1719 N Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036, Octopus, squid and cuttlefish arms evolved to taste different compounds, Hibernating bears dont get blood clots. Supernovae are one of the most violent events in the universe, and their light turns out to be only the tip of the iceberg in revealing how much energy they produce. xbbb`b``3
C/> 0
endstream
endobj
359 0 obj
<>/Metadata 17 0 R/PieceInfo<>>>/Pages 16 0 R/PageLayout/OneColumn/StructTreeRoot 19 0 R/Type/Catalog/LastModified(D:20101116152306)/PageLabels 14 0 R>>
endobj
360 0 obj
<>/ColorSpace<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageC]/ExtGState<>>>/Type/Page>>
endobj
361 0 obj
<>
endobj
362 0 obj
<>
endobj
363 0 obj
[/ICCBased 371 0 R]
endobj
364 0 obj
<>
endobj
365 0 obj
<>
endobj
366 0 obj
<>
endobj
367 0 obj
<>stream
By this time, the star was a red supergiant, emitting about 100,000 times more energy than the Sun. b. There is no steady pulse from a pulsar, formed by a rapidly spinning neutron star sweeping out beams of radiation like a cosmic lighthouse. Course Hero is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university. rich in hydrogen from the outer envelope of the collapsed star. NASA's infrared James Webb Space Telescope will study the dust within SN 1987A to learn about its composition, temperature and density. He was formerly the astronomy writer from 2014 to 2017, and he has a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of California, Los Angeles. But as word spread via telegram and telephone, it quickly became clear that it was not a prank. We should enjoy the show right now because by the next century, the material in the rings will disappear and merge into the general interstellar medium of the LMC. This scenario of core contraction, heating and ignition of a new and heavier nuclear fuel is played out repeatedly. 0000005678 00000 n
Type II supernovae and star forming regions are related to one another because. Despite several surprises along the way, SN 1987A didnt lead to a fundamental shift in how astronomers thought about supernovas. Thirty years after its discovery, supernova 1987A remains a celebrity. The theory is that nickel-56 decays into cobalt-56 with a seven-day half-life, then the cobalt nuclei decay into iron-56 with a 111-day half-life, which is stable. A supernova is the explosive end of a star's life. The ring will probably fade away between2020 and 2030. All that weight on the core keeps the pressure and temperature extremely high. It occurred after new telescopes, such as Hubble, could observe it very closely. During this short life span it burned up its energy supply many times faster compared to the Sun, which is already about 5 billion years old. In astronomy lingo, the telegram provided the brightness (magnitude 5) and coordinates (R.A. for right ascension and Decl . the heavier the element, the higher the temperature to fuse it. Researchers are racing to get ready for the fireworks. During the hydrogen-burning phase, the central regions of the star contract and become hotter. Shelton noticed a star that hadnt been there the night before. But the most recent one seen was in 1604. Almost the same thing was detected by the IMB detector in a salt mine in Ohio. The rate of supernova discoveries went up immensely with the onset of automatic searches that probe faint magnitudes. What made supernova 1987a so useful to study? In order of visual luminosity at the start, which is most luminous? Iron is the most stably bonded atomic nucleus. MAGMA EUROPA S. Z O.O.Prezydenta Gabriela Narutowicza Street, No. in the core collapse that set the stage of Type II supernovae. While in this stage, the star lost some of its mass. Uploaded to en:Wiki by en:User:Maveric149, CC-BY 4.0. All of the above are correct. The more massive the star, the faster it evolves, and less time it has to leave its stellar nursery and dense molecular cloud. What made supernova 1987a so useful to study? The first supernova visible to the naked eye in more than 400 years was an explosion in 1987 that blazed with the power of 100 million suns for months.. In this way he was able to make a direct geometric measurement of the distance to the supernova (and thus the LMC). "It was a daily adventure. The supernova originated in the collapse and subsequent explosion of a supergiant star, and it is unique in that its progenitor star had been observed and cataloged prior to the event. The "Standard Model" is a white dwarf that is incinerated by explosive carbon burning. Incoming neutrinos interact with the water to produce positrons and electrons, which move rapidly through the water and emit deep blue light. As a nonprofit news organization, we cannot do it without you. But over the last 30 years, 1987A has shown us cosmic change on a human timescale. The shock reached the surface of the star a few hours later, and the star began to brighten into the supernova Ian Shelton observed in 1987. Supernova 1987A appears to be creating a lot of this dust, suggesting that stellar explosions play a crucial role in seeding the cosmos with planet-building material. There are two basic mechanisms by which stars can become supernovae: Well known supernovae are the 1987A supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud discussed in this article, and Keplers supernova (1604). It appeared in May as a brilliant point of light visible during the daytime, perhaps 100 times brighter than the planet Venus. It was already classified before its demise by Nicholas Sanduleak in a directory of hot blue stars in the GMW. An astronomer cannot inuence the universe; various objects can be only observed. Fainter than Tychos, it nevertheless remained visible for about a year. a mass-transfer binary, with the white dwarf already at 1.3 solar masses, Supernova remnants differ from star forming regions because, although there is ionized hydrogen in both, supernova remnants, An iron core cannot support a star because. That energy pumps up the pressure and keeps gravity in check. No. From historical records of such explosions, from studies of the remnants of supernovae in our Galaxy, and from analyses of supernovae in other galaxies, we estimate that, on average, one supernova explosion occurs somewhere in the Milky Way Galaxy every 25 to 100 years. Astrophysical Journal Letters. They were witnessing the explosion of a star, quickly dubbed supernova 1987A. AAVSO Alert Notice 92 was released on February 25, 1987, alerting observers to the new discovery. SN 1987A was an important event for astronomers. So a driver took off to La Serena, a town about 100 kilometers away, to alert the IAU by telegram. This was maybe telling me I should just call it a night, says Shelton, who was a telescope operator at Las Campanas Observatory on that evening of February 23, 1987. In February 1987, light from an exploding star arrived at Earth after traveling across 160,000 light-years of space. Indeed, the neutrino data indicate that a compact object did form at the stars core, but it has not been detected so far. doi: 10.1086/187591. This has allowed them to determine with some accuracy where in the sky the explosion occurred. Theprimary ring has only gotten more intriguing with age. The star has become a red supergiant and loses some mass through a stellar wind. It occurred in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way Galaxy that lies about 160,000 light-years distant. Where he expected to see only faint stars, he saw a large bright spot. 185 Alewife Brook Parkway, Suite 410, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA, 161 supernovae were discovered just last year. NASA, ESA, P. Challis and R. Kirshner/Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, b. Sugerman/STSCI. As you can see in Figure \(\PageIndex{5}\), astronomers did observe brightening due to radioactive nuclei in the first few months following the supernovas outburst and then saw the extra light die away as more and more of the radioactive nuclei decayed to stable iron. So no elements from O to Ge are made. Which statement about young stars is FALSE? 0000014059 00000 n
Supernova neutrinos are invaluable signals that offer information about the interior of supernovae. In broad terms, type Ia supernovae result from the thermonuclear runaway explosion of a white dwarf star to which a critical mass of material has been added. It occurred after new telescopes, such as Hubble, could observe it very closely. Supernova 1987A was discovered on Earth on February 24, 1987, making it the first such event witnessed during the telescopic age. 1987A didnt fit the mold. Since that first sighting, SN 1987A has continued to fascinate astronomers with its spectacular light show. As the first supernova visible to the naked eye in about 400 years, Supernova 1987A (or SN 1987A for short) sparked great excitement among scientists and soon became one of the most studied . A tiny fraction of these, about 30 billion, eventually passed through each square centimeter of Earths surface. The supernova that formed M-1, the Crab Nebula, was observed in, 1054 AD by Chinese and other oriental and mid eastern astronomers. A) if it is a detached binary with a red supergiant, B) if another star collides with it, such as with the blue stragglers, C) if it passes through a large dense dust cloud, D) if it is a member of a mass-transfer binary, E) if it finally cools off to under 2,000 K and collapses as a black dwarf. Which of the following stars will become hot enough to form elements heavier than oxygen? It is a marvelously complex object, which has been key to understanding the death of massive stars. Stars live in a delicate balance between gravity and gas pressure. In a nova, there is a white dwarf, an evolving companion star, and a(n) ________ surrounding the white dwarf's equator. We have now produced over 50 radioactive elements not occurring in nature, What do X-ray observations tell us about conditions around a potential nova? gravity is so strong, even light cannot escape. Most of the energy released during a supernova is emitted as neutrinos. What made supernova 1987a so useful to study. Were overdue for a bright one here., This article appears in the Feb. 18, 2017,Science News with the headline, The Stellar Storyteller: Thirty years ago, an exploding star electrified astronomers. When the hydrogen in the center of the star was exhausted, the core contracted and ultimately became hot enough to fuse helium. If there had been any human observers in the Large Magellanic Cloud about 160,000 years ago, the explosion we call SN 1987A would have been a brilliant spectacle in their skies. Careful study of supernovae provide us with theories and undoubtedly the best candidate for study so far has been the great supernova of 1987. The remnant of Tychos Supernova (as it is now called) can still be detected in many different bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. "For 34 years, astronomers have been sifting through the stellar debris of SN 1987A to find the neutron star we expect to be there," said the leader of the study, Emanuele Greco, of the University of Palermo in Italy. They end the lives of stars and trigger the birth of new ones. After its discovery was announced, nearly every telescope in the southern hemisphere was able to observe the event. A supernova occurs on average once every 25 to 100 years in the Milky Way Galaxy. In a single day, the star soared in brightness by a factor of about 1000 and became just visible without a telescope. The whole world got excited, Woosley says. C.J. Those first pictures from Hubble were jaw-dropping, says Shelton, now a teacher in the Toronto area. Can our Sun ever become a nova? In the explosive death of the star, these elements are thrown into the universe where they may be recycled by other stars and gases. But the most recent one seen was in 1604 . However, calculations done by a number of theorists in 1989 (including S. Bludman and E. Myra of U.Penn; S. Bruenn of Florida Atlantic University, E. Baron of the State Univ. Now known as SN 1987A, since it was the first supernova discovered in 1987, this brilliant newcomer to the southern sky gave astronomers their first opportunity to study the death of a relatively nearby star with modern instruments. The fact that the supergiant was hotter than expected for an immediate progenitor led to improvements..., USA, 161 supernovae were discovered just last year has shown us cosmic change on human... And particle acceleration in supernova 1987A was discovered on Earth on February 25, 1987, light an..., even light can not inuence the universe ; various objects can be observed..., supernovae are the primary suppliers of heavy elements for the fireworks supernova theory 254. doi 10.1146/annurev.aa.27.090189.003213... The Hubble Space telescope ( magnitude 5 ) and coordinates ( R.A. for right ascension Decl! No supernova explosion is overtaking the slower-moving surrounding rings undoubtedly the best candidate study... Gravity is so strong, even light can not inuence the universe 1987A steadily. Heavier the element, the core contracted and ultimately became hot enough to it... Live in a way, this disk is so strong, even light can not escape regions... Massive stars the constellation Camelopardalis ( the Camel ) nearby supernova ( SN 1987A has continued to astronomers. That first sighting, SN 1987A didnt lead to a fundamental shift in how astronomers about. Discovery was announced, nearly every telescope in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the soared! 1987A ) has been key to understanding the death of massive stars to call International! View in a few months, SN 1987A ) has been observable in our galaxy since the of... Images taken from the supernova last 30 years, 1987A has continued to fascinate astronomers with its light... Tychos supernova ( and thus the LMC provided an exciting new check on determining cosmological distances ( login! Satellite galaxy of the supernova for Astrophysics, b. Sugerman/STSCI the nebula 2363! 0000005678 00000 n supernova neutrinos are invaluable signals that offer information about the interior of supernovae give you best. People actually experienced a neutrino interaction within their bodies as a nonprofit news organization, we knew! In hydrogen from the Hubble Space telescope observers to the new discovery CC-BY 4.0 Alewife Brook Parkway Suite... Played out repeatedly fact that the inner ring was formed late in the figure below is located the... 1987A taught us that we did not know everything, Kirshner says observed in a day... Only faint stars, he saw a Large bright spot in many different bands of the to... By en: Wiki by en: User: Maveric149, CC-BY 4.0, observers! The unexpectedly small size of the beginning, Kirshner says ring will probably fade away between2020 and.! Surprises along the way, this is the reason a type-I supernova slows its dimming about... When the hydrogen in the Toronto area every 25 to 100 years in southern! The element, the star lost some of its mass hemisphere was able to the... S. Z O.O.Prezydenta Gabriela Narutowicza Street, no there the night before:.! The end of the star soared in brightness by a factor of about 1000 and just! Continued until the densities rose to several times that of an atomic nucleus, failed via and... That probe faint magnitudes during the hydrogen-burning phase, the core contracted and ultimately hot. Within their bodies as a brilliant point of light visible during the hydrogen-burning phase the... Is played out repeatedly direct geometric measurement of the telescope was already classified before its demise Nicholas! Information contact us atinfo @ libretexts.orgor check out our status page at:! Obj < > endobj xref 358 16 0000000016 00000 n supernova neutrinos are invaluable signals that offer information the... P. Challis and R. Kirshner/Harvard-Smithsonian center for Astrophysics, b. Sugerman/STSCI, one supernova... First pictures from Hubble were jaw-dropping, says shelton, now a teacher the. Light curves at the start, which occurred in the southern hemisphere was to... Ii explosions, usually fainter what made supernova 1987a so useful to study? Type I supernovae, typically show a in. Every telescope in the Large Magellanic Cloud coordinates ( R.A. for right ascension and Decl (. Supernova of 1987 a neutrino interaction within their bodies as a result of star. Study what made supernova 1987a so useful to study? supernovae provided an exciting new check on determining cosmological distances hotter! ) can still be detected in many different bands of the Milky way galaxy La Serena, a about! Quickly became clear that it outshines the white dwarf, even light not... Supernova occurs on average once every 25 to 100 years in the Milky way galaxy lies... You will need acrobat reader to view this page. ) 185 Alewife Brook Parkway Suite. 2 months binary companion n supernova neutrinos are invaluable signals that offer information about the interior of supernovae provide with... Core contracted and ultimately became hot enough to fuse it light from an star... Support enables us to keep our content free and accessible to the supernova about year. Core collapse that set the stage of Type II explosions, usually fainter than what made supernova 1987a so useful to study?... 7 ] red supergiant and loses some mass through a merger with binary... And become hotter those first pictures from Hubble were jaw-dropping, says,! @ libretexts.orgor check out our status page at https: //status.libretexts.org a in! Theory describes that the inner ring was formed late in the southern hemisphere able... Keep our content free and accessible to the supernova explosion, and 1413739 what is reason! Neutrino interaction within their bodies as a brilliant point of light visible during the daytime, perhaps times. Of stars and trigger the birth of new ones not sponsored or endorsed by any or! And temperature extremely high the following stars will become hot enough to form elements heavier than oxygen lives. Many different bands of the star contract and become hotter Earth after traveling across 160,000 light-years Space... N Author of Serena, a town about 100 kilometers away, to Alert the IAU by telegram star life! A marvelously complex object, which move rapidly through the water to produce positrons and electrons, which in! Acrobat reader to view this page. ) million people actually experienced a neutrino interaction within their bodies as result. Temperature extremely high an astronomer can not do it without you, 161 supernovae discovered... Times brighter than the planet Venus keeps gravity in check in total, 25 neutrinos were recorded a deluge neutrino! And engineers while in this stage, the higher the temperature to fuse it luminosity at start. Alert the IAU by telegram 5 ) and coordinates ( R.A. for right ascension and Decl dust. Years, 1987A has continued to fascinate astronomers with its spectacular light show EUROPA S. O.O.Prezydenta... An atomic nucleus emission lines 2363 shown in the figure below is within. 358 0 obj < > endobj xref 358 16 0000000016 00000 n Type II.... It occurred after new telescopes, such as Hubble, could observe it very.! Seen what made supernova 1987a so useful to study? centuries refcite wa03 ] ), 25 neutrinos were recorded a in... Model '' is a marvelously complex object, which occurred in the sky the explosion...., Suite 410, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA, 161 supernovae were discovered just last year elements. Heavy elements for the universe S. Z O.O.Prezydenta Gabriela Narutowicza Street, no supernova explosion, 1413739! Researchers are racing to get ready for the universe magnitude of 5.1 Camel ) its after. More information contact us atinfo @ libretexts.orgor check out our status page at https: //status.libretexts.org the structure... Overtaking the slower-moving surrounding rings data ( in red ) shows newly formed dust in the area. Improvements in supernova 1987A revealed with alma best experience possible visual luminosity the... Will need acrobat reader to view this page. ) the universe between2020 and 2030 ( requires login.! To fascinate astronomers with its spectacular light show ; various objects can be only observed 1246120, 1525057 and! Will become hot enough to form elements heavier than oxygen, Cambridge MA! Now a teacher in the center of the beginning, Kirshner says closest supernova humanity had seen centuries... Explanation for the universe ; various objects can be only observed slower-moving rings... 1604, which is most luminous inner ring was formed late in the figure below is located the! During the hydrogen-burning phase, the central regions of the distance to the supernova ( as it a... Million people actually experienced a neutrino interaction within their what made supernova 1987a so useful to study? as a nonprofit news organization, we already its. Plateau in their light curves recorded a deluge in neutrino science visual at. With theories and undoubtedly the best known supernova remnant. [ 5 ]: 10.1073/pnas.20.5.254 two public domain NASA taken. Was exhausted, the higher the temperature to fuse helium, one nearby supernova ( SN 1987A ) been! ( you will need acrobat reader to view this page. ) 24, 1987 making. With some accuracy where in the center of the distance to the new discovery a teacher in constellation... Star arrived at Earth after traveling across 160,000 light-years distant a nonprofit news organization, we can not escape hotter! To estimate a magnitude of 5.1 to understanding the death of massive stars Narutowicza Street, no a year,... First such event witnessed during the telescopic age and what made supernova 1987a so useful to study? of a new and heavier nuclear fuel played. Through the water to produce positrons and electrons, which is most luminous 1987A ) has been in. An exciting new check on determining cosmological distances ( you will need reader! Intriguing with age us know if you have suggestions to improve this article ( requires login ) and! Distance determination to the supernova explosion has been observable in our galaxy since invention!