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Webb Reveals New Structures Within Iconic Supernova

A supernova. The center of the image contains a dense green cloud, shaped like a keyhole. Within this keyhole, there is a dark spot, composed of even denser gas. Outside of this cloud of gas is a ring of dense orange gas and dust that becomes more diffused as it travels further away from the center. The innermost part of this dense orange ring contains brighter orange clumps of glowing gas. Outside of these structures, both above and below them, are very faint orange rings of gas and dust. There are several bright white stars, three of which show an eight-pronged diffraction pattern brought about by the Webb Space Telescope. Several other white stars are strewn throughout the image.
Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) captured this detailed image of SN 1987A (Supernova 1987A). At the center, material ejected from the supernova forms a keyhole shape. Just to its left and right are faint crescents newly discovered by Webb. Beyond them an equatorial ring,...
Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, Mikako Matsuura (Cardiff University), Richard Arendt (NASA-GSFC, UMBC), Claes Fransson (Stockholm University), Josefin Larsson (KTH); Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
The headshot image of NASA Webb Mission Team

NASA Webb Mission Team

Goddard Space Flight Center

Aug 31, 2023
Article

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has begun the study of one of the most renowned supernovae, SN 1987A (Supernova 1987A). Located 168,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, SN 1987A has been a target of intense observations at wavelengths ranging from gamma rays to radio for nearly 40 years, since its discovery in February of 1987. New observations by Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) provide a crucial clue to our understanding of how a supernova develops over time to shape its remnant.

A supernova. The center of the image contains a dense green cloud, shaped like a keyhole. Within this keyhole, there is a dark spot, composed of even denser gas. Outside of this cloud of gas is a ring of dense orange gas and dust that becomes more diffused as it travels further away from the center. The innermost part of this dense orange ring contains brighter orange clumps of glowing gas. Outside of these structures, both above and below them, are very faint orange rings of gas and dust. There are several bright white stars, three of which show an eight-pronged diffraction pattern brought about by the Webb Space Telescope. Several other white stars are strewn throughout the image.
Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) captured this detailed image of SN 1987A (Supernova 1987A). At the center, material ejected from the supernova forms a keyhole shape. Just to its left and right are faint crescents newly discovered by Webb. Beyond them an equatorial ring,...
NASA, ESA, CSA, Mikako Matsuura (Cardiff University), Richard Arendt (NASA-GSFC, UMBC), Claes Fransson (Stockholm University), Josefin Larsson (KTH); Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

This image reveals a central structure like a keyhole. This center is packed with clumpy gas and dust ejected by the supernova explosion. The dust is so dense that even near-infrared light that Webb detects can’t penetrate it, shaping the dark “hole” in the keyhole.

A bright, equatorial ring surrounds the inner keyhole, forming a band around the waist that connects two faint arms of hourglass-shaped outer rings. The equatorial ring, formed from material ejected tens of thousands of years before the supernova explosion, contains bright hot spots, which appeared as the supernova’s shock wave hit the ring. Now spots are found even exterior to the ring, with diffuse emission surrounding it. These are the locations of supernova shocks hitting more exterior material.

While these structures have been observed to varying degrees by NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes and Chandra X-ray Observatory, the unparalleled sensitivity and spatial resolution of Webb revealed a new feature in this supernova remnant – small crescent-like structures. These crescents are thought to be a part of the outer layers of gas shot out from the supernova explosion. Their brightness may be an indication of limb brightening, an optical phenomenon that results from viewing the expanding material in three dimensions. In other words, our viewing angle makes it appear that there is more material in these two crescents than there actually may be.

The high resolution of these images is also noteworthy. Before Webb, the now-retired Spitzer telescope observed this supernova in infrared throughout its entire lifespan, yielding key data about how its emissions evolved over time. However, it was never able to observe the supernova with such clarity and detail.

A supernova with its components labeled. The center of the image contains a dense green cloud, shaped like a keyhole. A white line points to this area, labeled “inner ejecta (keyhole)”. Outside of this region are two, curved dotted lines with a white line pointing to the left one, labeled “crescent”. Outside of this cloud of gas is a ring of dense orange gas and dust that becomes more diffused as it travels further away from the center. A dotted blue line is overlaid in the center of this ring with a blue line that is labeled “equatorial ring”. The innermost part of this dense orange ring contains brighter orange clumps of glowing gas. There is a gray line pointing to one of these hotspots labeled “equatorial ring hotspots”. Outside of these structures, both above and below them, are very faint orange rings of gas and dust. They are overlain with dotted lines and both have white lines pointing to them, labeled “outer ring”. There are several white stars are strewn throughout the image.
Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) captured this detailed image of SN 1987A (Supernova 1987A), which has been annotated to highlight key structures. At the center, material ejected from the supernova forms a keyhole shape. Just to its left and right are faint crescents newly...
NASA, ESA, CSA, Mikako Matsuura (Cardiff University), Richard Arendt (NASA-GSFC, UMBC), Claes Fransson (Stockholm University), Josefin Larsson (KTH); Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

Despite the decades of study since the supernova’s initial discovery, there are several mysteries that remain, particularly surrounding the neutron star that should have been formed in the aftermath of the supernova explosion. Like Spitzer, Webb will continue to observe the supernova over time. Its NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) instruments will offer astronomers the ability to capture new, high-fidelity infrared data over time and gain new insights into the newly identified crescent structures. Further, Webb will continue to collaborate with Hubble, Chandra, and other observatories to provide new insights into the past and future of this legendary supernova.

The James Webb Space Telescope is the world's premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agen

Related Images & Videos

A supernova. The center of the image contains a dense green cloud, shaped like a keyhole. Within this keyhole, there is a dark spot, composed of even denser gas. Outside of this cloud of gas is a ring of dense orange gas and dust that becomes more diffused as it travels further away from the center. The innermost part of this dense orange ring contains brighter orange clumps of glowing gas. Outside of these structures, both above and below them, are very faint orange rings of gas and dust. There are several bright white stars, three of which show an eight-pronged diffraction pattern brought about by the Webb Space Telescope. Several other white stars are strewn throughout the image.

Supernova 1987A (NIRCam Image)

Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) captured this detailed image of SN 1987A (Supernova 1987A). At the center, material ejected from the supernova forms a keyhole shape. Just to its left and right are faint crescents newly discovered by Webb. Beyond them an equatorial ring,...

A supernova with its components labeled. The center of the image contains a dense green cloud, shaped like a keyhole. A white line points to this area, labeled “inner ejecta (keyhole)”. Outside of this region are two, curved dotted lines with a white line pointing to the left one, labeled “crescent”. Outside of this cloud of gas is a ring of dense orange gas and dust that becomes more diffused as it travels further away from the center. A dotted blue line is overlaid in the center of this ring with a blue line that is labeled “equatorial ring”. The innermost part of this dense orange ring contains brighter orange clumps of glowing gas. There is a gray line pointing to one of these hotspots labeled “equatorial ring hotspots”. Outside of these structures, both above and below them, are very faint orange rings of gas and dust. They are overlain with dotted lines and both have white lines pointing to them, labeled “outer ring”. There are several white stars are strewn throughout the image.

Supernova 1987A (NIRCam Compass Image)

Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) captured this detailed image of SN 1987A (Supernova 1987A), which has been annotated to highlight key structures. At the center, material ejected from the supernova forms a keyhole shape. Just to its left and right are faint crescents newly...

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Details

Last Updated
Aug 28, 2025
Location
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Contact
Media

Laura Betz
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
laura.e.betz@nasa.gov

Hannah Braun
Space Telescope Science Institute
Baltimore, Maryland

Matthew Brown
Space Telescope Science Institute
Baltimore, Maryland

Science Credit

Mikako Matsuura (Cardiff University), Richard Arendt (NASA-GSFC, UMBC), Claes Fransson (Stockholm University), Josefin Larsson (KTH)

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