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> Supernova 1987A with precursor image overlaid

Supernova 1987A with precursor image overlaid

author: Anglo-Australian Observatory/David Malin Images/Novapix

reference: a-snv01-98709

Image Size 300 DPI: 40 * 51 cm

The brightest star in the colour photograph is supernova 1987A, photographed with the AAT two months before it reached its maximum brightness. Superimposed in register on this image is a negative photograph of the region around the supernova copied from an AAT plate that was exposed in 1985, two years before the supernova was seen to explode. The precursor star appears to be a peculiar shape only because its image is blended with those of two other stars that happen to lie in the same line of sight. Many similar blended images can be seen in the colour photograph. However, it was soon found that the brighter of the three had exploded, and that was a star which had been previously observed and catalogued, as Sanduleak -69°202.  

Keywords for this photo:

1985 - 1987 - AAO - ASTRONOMY - COMPOSITE - DORADO - EVOLUTION - POSTER - SIDING SPRING - SN 1987A - SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE - STAR - SUPERNOVA - TYPE II -