Supernova 1987a

Supernova 1987a was a supernova in the [Large Magellanic Cloud]?. It exploded on February 23 1987 (or rather, on that day the light from the supernova reached the earth). It was the first opportunity of modern astronomy to see a supernova this close; no supernova has taken place in our own galaxy since 1604. The supernova and its remains are among the most-studied astronomical objects.