Supernova Shock Wave Is Producing a Spectacular New Light Show

Running Time: 16 seconds

This time lapse sequence of images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 and Advanced Camera for Surveys show changes in the ring of matter surrounding a stellar explosion, called Supernova 1987A. This spectacular light show is the collision of the debris with the gas ring that circles the site of the explosion as seen from Sept. 24, 1994 to Nov. 28, 2003.

Credit: NASA and L. Barranger (STScI)

Images: NASA, P. Challis, R. Kirshner (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA), B. Sugerman (STScI)