Astronomy Picture of the Day -- The Mysterious Rings of Supernova 1987A

NASA ^ | February 26, 2012 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

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.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit: ESA/Hubble, NASA]

[SunkenCiv]

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[U-238]

Just imagine that same explosion but 600 light years from Earth.Although no supernova has been observed in the Milky Way since 1604, supernovae remnants indicate on average the event occurs about once every 50 years in the Milky Way. It does play an important role in stellar evolution. All the kinetic energy sparks new star formation

[U-238]

As to the formation my guess gravitational lensing interacting with dark matter. Im shooting from the hip.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Others are speculating (if I read it correctly) this might have to do with the originating star being one member of a binary star and the rings associated with how its partner was torn apart in the events leading up to the blast, possibly in stages. That might explain why such a definite orientation to the double intersecting loops of the “figure 8” rather than seeing something symmetrical all the way around.

[The Cajun]

Wonder what percentage of C things are moving away from the center?

I would guess the figure 8 rings are *hauling* at a greater speed than the bright center ring of gas/matter/plasma, etc.

[U-238]

Could be.There is something called a Stromgren sphere but its only theoretical.Its a region of hot and ionized gas that surrounds a hot center. Of course, the center would be the neutron star.

[John Valentine]

I think the thin loops only appear to intersect due to our perspective.

To me they look like two thin loops, one on each side of the remnant star, one loop moving toward us, the other away.

[Telepathic Intruder]

Twin lobes of outer atmosphere blown off by Eta Carinae provide a possble solution,

although Eta Carinae is far more massive than SN1987A was. Still, Eta Carinae is a pre-supernova star, and when those lobes expand far enough away, it might look just like SN1987A when the light echo passed through them.

[left that other site]

That one is AWESOME!

[sit-rep]

dont know nuthin from nuthin ‘bout this stuff but im gonna throw somethin out anyways... since the center of the rings are of different distances from the center of the super nova, could it possibly be 2 orbiting planets exploded causing the rings??

[W. W. SMITH]

Let us step way outside of the box: could this be the result of technology? A partially completed Dyson sphere or a ring? coming apart in the nova?