Technical facts about this news release: About this Object Object Name: SN1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud Object Description: Supernova Remnant Position (J2000): R.A. 05h 35m 28.03s Dec. -69° 16' 11.79" (J2000) Constellation: Dorado Distance : The supernova is 51.4 kpc (168,000 light years) away. [Panagia 1999] Dimensions: The image is 2.6 arcminutes (~130 light-years) on the vertical side. About the Data Instrument: WFPC2 Exposure Dates: September 1994, February 1996, July 1997 Exposure Time: 8.3 hours Filters: F439W (B), F502N ([O III]), F555W (V), F656N (H-alpha), F675W (R) Principal Astronomers: R. Kirshner (Harvard/CfA), N. Panagia (STScI), M. Romaniello (ESO) and collaborators About this Image Image Credit: NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) Release Date: February 4, 1999 12:00pm EST Orientation: North is to the top (approximately 10° CW); east is to the left. What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Glittering stars and wisps of gas create a breathtaking backdrop for the self-destruction of a massive star, called supernova 1987A, in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a nearby galaxy. Astronomers in the Southern Hemisphere witnessed the brilliant explosion of this star on Feb. 23, 1987. Shown in this Hubble telescope image, the supernova remnant, surrounded by inner and outer rings of material, is set in a forest of ethereal, diffuse clouds of gas. *News Release Number:*: STScI-1999-04e
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