![]() When it exploded as Supernova 1987A it captured the attention of astronomers from around the world. Sanduleak -69° 202 was a blue supergiant with a mass of about 18 solar masses in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Since observed extensively at all wavebands, SN1987A has helped astronomers better understand the death of massive stars. ![]() The object, named Supernova 1987A, was a massive star ripping itself apart in a violent event that released as much energy for a short period as the rest of the galaxy combined. What was remarkable was that this was the first naked-eye supernova (SN) visible since 1604. In February 1987 a new star appeared in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a neighbouring galaxy 170,000 light years away. M1, the Crab Nebula, the remnant of a supernova that exploded in AD 1054.
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