Supernova 1987A

Supernova 1987A, first supernova observed in 1987 (hence its designation) and the nearest to Earth in more than three centuries. It occurred in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way Galaxy that lies about 160,000 light-years distant. The supernova originated in the collapse and subsequent explosion of a supergiant star, and it is unique in that its progenitor star had been observed and cataloged prior to the event. The fact that the supergiant was hotter than expected for an immediate progenitor led to important improvements in supernova theory. A burst of neutrinos that accompanied the star’s collapse was detected on Earth, providing verification of theoretical predictions of nuclear processes that occur during supernovas. Study of the evolving remnant continued into the 21st century, and in 2024, the James Webb Space Telescope found the neutron star left behind by the supernova explosion.