Light show from a supernova shockwave

Light show from a supernova shockwave

This is an image of the light show around the brightest star explosion-- or supernova-- ever observed since Johannes Kepler first spied one 400 years ago. Discovered in 1987, the titanic supernova explosion was dubbed SN 1987A. It blazed with the power of 100 million suns for several months after its discovery, and continues to glow.