Exploding star reconstructed in 3D
Astronomers have put together the first three-dimensional reconstruction of an exploding star (known as a supernova).
Using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope, they looked at Supernova 1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy, which is 165,000 light-years from Earth. They found that the blast would have been powerful, hurling much of the material in one direction.
This video zoom shows images of SN1987A from ESO telescopes, ending with an artist's impression of a close-up of the exploding star.
04 Aug 2010
- From the section Science & Environment