Astronomy Picture of the Day · March 31, 2002

The Mysterious Rings of Supernova 1987A

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for March 31, 2002 is “The Mysterious Rings of Supernova 1987A,” an image. It is credited to Credit: ( ESA / STScI ), HST , NASA. The original explanation runs about 105 words.

From the explanation

“What’s causing those odd rings in supernova 1987A? In 1987, the brightest supernova in recent history occurred in the Large Magellanic Clouds .”

— APOD editors, March 31, 2002

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: March 31, 2002
Type: Image
Credit: Credit: ( ESA / STScI ), HST , NASA
Copyright: No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 105 words

All of March 2002 → · 2002 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

Supernovae

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: March 31 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Electronics Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 32GB Read astronomy and space-history books anywhere. View on Amazon → Electronics Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones Noise-cancelling headphones for documentaries and launch livestreams. View on Amazon →

Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, March 31, 2002 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2002-march-31-the-mysterious-rings-of-supernova-1987a

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.