Mary Anna (27
Feb 2012)
"Astronomy Picture of
the Day (26 Feb 2012)"
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.htmlThe
Mysterious Rings of Supernova 1987A
Image Credit: ESA/Hubble, NASA
![](P00F12B23.png)
Explanation: What's causing those odd rings in supernova 1987A?
Twenty five years ago, in 1987, the brightest supernova in
recent history was seen in the Large Magellanic Clouds. At the
center of the above picture is an object central to the remains
of the violent stellar explosion. Surrounding the center are
curious outer rings appearing as a flattened figure 8. Although
large telescopes including the Hubble Space Telescope monitor
the curious rings every few years, their origin remains a
mystery. Pictured above is a Hubble image of the SN1987A remnant
taken last year. Speculation into the cause of the rings
includes beamed jets emanating from an otherwise hidden neutron
star left over from the supernova, and the interaction of the
wind from the progenitor star with gas released before the
explosion.