Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Supernova 1987a Fireball Resolved

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for January 24, 1997 is “Supernova 1987a Fireball Resolved,” an image. It is credited to Supernova 1987a Fireball Resolved Credit: C. S. J. Pun (GSFC) & R. Kirshner (CfA), WFPC2, HST, NASA. The original explanation runs about 128 words.

Supernova 1987a Fireball Resolved
Credit: Supernova 1987a Fireball Resolved Credit: C. S. J. Pun (GSFC) & R. Kirshner (CfA), WFPC2, HST, NASA Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“Explanation : Ten years ago the most notable supernova of modern times was observed. In February 1987, light reached Earth from a star which exploded in the nearby Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy.”

— APOD editors, January 24, 1997

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
January 24, 1997
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Supernova 1987a Fireball Resolved Credit: C. S. J. Pun (GSFC) & R. Kirshner (CfA), WFPC2, HST, NASA
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 128 words

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Topics in this entry

GalaxiesSupernovaeMeteors

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: January 24 in other years

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Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.