AAO image reference AAT 50. « Previous || Next »
Top left is NE. Width of each image is about 8 arc min
Roll mouse over picture to see precursor star
Image and text © 1989-2002, Anglo-Australian Observatory, photograph by David Malin.
This photograph shows the field around the site of the supernova in great detail, both before the supernova exploded (right) and about 10 days afterwards, when it was still brightening. The image of the star that exploded to create the supernova (mouseover the image) is elongated (better seen on this bigger image). This does not necessarily indicate any peculiarity or a close companion, rather it is the effect of stars being by chance aligned along the line of sight. Several other examples can be seen in this picture and other, different, blended images are seen in the photograph of the same field taken two weeks after the supernova appeared (left). The pre-supernova plates were taken over about 90 minutes on the night of 1984 February 5, centred on the Tarantula nebula, and were used to make to make AAT 44, AAT 49 and the negative overlay in AAT 48a. The post-supernova plates (LHS image) were exposed for a total of about an hour on the night of 1987 March 8.
The difference in image quality ('seeing') between these pictures is an effect of the Earth's atmosphere which was much steadier when the plates used to make the pre-supernova picture were taken. Click here for bigger image.
Related Images
AAT 48. The Tarantula Nebula and supernova 1987a in the Large Magellanic Cloud
AAT 48a. Supernova 1987A, the star, in March 1987
AAT 49. The Tarantula Nebula, before supernova SN1987A
AAT 66. The light echo of supernova 1987A
AAT 67. Supernova 1987a after 4 years
For details of photographic exposure, search technical table by AAT reference number