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FOC Observations of SN 1987A 1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 March 2016

N. Panagia
N. Panagia*
Affiliation:
Space Telescope Science Institute3700 San Martin Drive Baltimore, MD 21218, USA

Abstract

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We present and discuss the first images of SN 1987A obtained on day 1278 with the FOC on board the Hubble Space Telescope. The supernova is well detected and resolved spatially in the four observed bands. The UV luminosity of SN 1987A is found to be comparable to that emitted in the visible and infrared spectrum. Narrow-band [OUI] imaging reveals that the circumstellar nebula surrounding SN 1987A has the shape of a perfectly elliptical ring, implying an inclination of 43° ±3°. A comparison of the ring angular size with its absolute size derived from an analysis of the light curves of narrow UV lines measured with IUE, gives an accurate determination of the distance to SN 1987A, i.e. d(1987A) = 51.2±3.1 kpc. Allowing for the relative position of SN 1987A within the LMC, the distance to the center of the LMC turns out to be 50.1 ± 3.1 kpc. This value agrees very well with the determinations obtained from light curve analyses of variable stars.

Type
Joint Discussions
Information
Highlights of Astronomy , Volume 9: Highlights of Astronomy. As presented at the XXIst General Assembly of the IAU, 1991 , 1992 , pp. 471 - 474
Copyright
Copyright © Kluwer 1992

Footnotes

2

Affiliated to the Astrophysics Division, Space Sciences Department of ESA; on leave from University of Catania.

1

Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by AURA, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555.

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