[X] My Assistant

[alan]

NASA's Hubble Telescope Celebrates SN 1987A's 20th Anniversary

Twenty years ago, astronomers witnessed one of the brightest stellar explosions in more than 400 years. The titanic supernova, called SN 1987A, blazed with the power of 100 million suns for several months following its discovery on Feb. 23, 1987.

http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/r...s/2007/10/full/

[dvanavery]

YES. I was in 6th grade when this happened, didn't realize the anniversary was upon us. I've always wondered what must have gone through Ian Shelton's mind when he realized what he had on his plates......and what it must have felt like to report the discovery!

IAUC 4316, at
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iauc/04300/04316.html
is still one of the most exciting announcements in the history of modern astronomy. Even 20 years later, reading the first paragraph of the discovery circular sends a chill down my spine:

"W. Kunkel and B. Madore, Las Campanas Observatory, report the
discovery by Ian Shelton, University of Toronto Las Campanas
Station, of a mag 5 object, ostensibly a supernova, in the Large
Magellanic Cloud at R.A. = 5h35m.4, Decl. = -69 16' (equinox 1987.2), 18'
west and 10' south of 30 Dor and possibly involved with the
association NGC 2044. The discovery was made around Feb. 24.23 UT on
a 3-hr exposure with a 0.25-m astrograph beginning on Feb. 24.06,
and the object had evidently brightened by at least about 8 mag since
the previous night. An independent suspected sighting was made
visually by Oscar Duhalde, also at Las Campanas, around Feb. 24.2.
The object had brightened to about mag 4.5 by Feb. 24.33."

-David Van Avery