What type of supernova was 1987A?
Type II supernova
Supernova 1987A, as it is known, was the closest supernova to Earth in hundreds of years; the Large Magellanic Cloud is only 168,000 light-years away. Astronomers quickly diagnosed it as a Type II supernova, caused by the collapse of a massive star.
Can you see Supernova 1987A?
Later investigations found photographs showing the supernova brightening rapidly early on February 23. On March 4–12, 1987, it was observed from space by Astron, the largest ultraviolet space telescope of that time.
What is Supernova 1987A likely to become?
So Supernova 1987A appears to be a core-collapse supernova. That is, as the star exploded, the core of the star should have collapsed. Given the size of the original star, astronomers would have expected a neutron star to form.
Why is Supernova 1987A so important?
“The 30 years’ worth of observations of SN 1987A are important because they provide insight into the last stages of stellar evolution,” said Robert Kirshner of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation in Palo Alto, California.
How old is SN 1987A?
13 years old
When astronomers say that SN1987A is only 13 years old, they mean that it is has been 13 years since the outburst was observed on Earth. A supernova explosion is among the most violent events in nature.
Why is Supernova 1987A so important quizlet?
Why is Supernova 1987A particularly important to astronomers? It is the nearest supernova to have occurred at a time when we were capable of studying it carefully with modern telescopes. Where does gold (the element) come from? It is produced during the supernova explosions of high-mass stars.
When was the last supernova on Earth?
1604
The last supernova to be noted in any kind of reliable source occurred in 1604, as recorded by many astronomers around the globe, most notably Johannes Kepler.
How long was SN 1987A visible?
four months
After the explosion, the expanding debris glowed in visible light with the power of 100,000,000 suns for four months. Supernova 1987A is located in a nearby galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud.
What is Messier 66?
Messier 66 or M66, also known as NGC 3627, is an intermediate spiral galaxy in the equatorial constellation of Leo.
What type of supernova is SN 1987A?
Jump to navigation Jump to search. SN 1987A was a peculiar type II supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy satellite of the Milky Way. It occurred approximately 51.4 kiloparsecs (168,000 light-years) from Earth and was the closest observed supernova since Kepler’s Supernova, visible from earth in 1604.
How far away was the first supernova discovered?
It occurred approximately 51.4 kiloparsecs (168,000 light-years) from Earth and was the closest observed supernova since Kepler’s Supernova, visible from earth in 1604. 1987A’s light reached Earth on February 23, 1987, and as the earliest supernova discovered that year, was labeled “1987A”.
Who discovered the Messier Galaxy?
It was discovered by French astronomer Charles Messier on 1 March 1780, who described it as “very long and very faint”. This galaxy is a member of a small group of galaxies that includes M65 and NGC 3628, known as the Leo Triplet, or the M66 Group.