NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has discovered new structures within SN 1987A (Supernova 1987A), located 168,000 light-years from Earth, that were previously unseen. Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) observed a central keyhole-like structure packed with clumpy gas and dust ejected by the supernova explosion.
This dust is so dense that even near-infrared light that Webb detects can’t penetrate it, forming the dark “hole” that seemingly appears in the keyhole. A bright, equatorial ring can then be seen surrounding the inner keyhole, shaping a band around the waist that connects two faint arms of hourglass-shaped outer rings. This equatorial ring is formed from material ejected tens of thousands of years before the supernova explosion, and contains bright hot spots.
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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,” said NASA.
