94K views · 2.2K reactions | Happy 30th anniversary to the best studied supernova of all time! | Curiosity | Facebook

Today Chandra is checking in on the famous Supernova 1987A. First seen in February of 1987, it was one of the brightest supernova explosions in centuries and the best opportunity yet for modern astronomers to study the phases before, during, and after the death of a star. Want to know more about this fascinating object? Visit the Chandra website at http://s.si.edu/pwn1987a and/or explore this interactive from our friends at ViewSpace: https://bit.ly/2XOiNpV | Chandra X-ray Observatory

Blast Wave from a Stellar Explosion: Supernova 1987A Simulation | Hubble FriendsofNASA.org: This scientific visualization shows the development of Supernova 1987A, from the initial blast observed three decades ago to the luminous ring of material we see today. Distance: 170,000 light years The sequence, using data from a computer simulation, begins with the star before it exploded. A ring of material around the star was expelled about 20,000 years before the supernova outburst. A flash of light