R. D. Gehrz

At the center of the supernova remnant SN 1987A, 168,000 light-years from Earth, hides an object that astronomers have been seeking for 37 years. This is the closest supernova to have exploded in front of modern telescopes, and the only one where the compact remnant has yet to be seen directly.

Thirty-six years ago, a star exploded in a neighboring galaxy. The flash was named Supernova 1987A, and since then it has been monitored almost every year. Now the James Webb Space Telescope has looked at its remnant in the mid-infrared — the part of the spectrum where dust and heated gas glow.