The night sky on the night of the discovery of Supernova 1987A — 24 February 1987

On the night of 23–24 February 1987 Ian Shelton, working at the University of Toronto's telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile, noticed a new star in the Large Magellanic Cloud on a photographic plate. It was Supernova 1987A, the first supernova visible to the naked eye since Kepler's in 1604. Neutrino detectors in Japan and the United States had registered its burst about a day earlier.

The sky over Las Campanas Observatory, Chile

This is the real sky above Las Campanas Observatory, Chile (29.01°S, 70.69°W) on 24 February 1987 at 02:00 CLST (UTC−3) that night (1987-02-24 05:00 UTC). The Sun was 51° below the horizon: it was full night. The Moon (waning crescent, 20% lit) was below the horizon. Planets above the horizon: Saturn (1° in the south-east). Brightest named stars up: Sirius, Canopus, Arcturus, Rigil Kentaurus and Rigel.

Star map of the sky over Las Campanas Observatory, Chile on 24 February 1987 at 02:00 Saturn SiriusCanopusArcturusRigil KentaurusRigelProcyonBetelgeuseHadar NSEW
865 stars brighter than magnitude 5 above the horizon, with the constellation figures. Look up: north at the top, east on the left.

Make the sky of YOUR date

Every night has its own sky. Pick your city and your date — the night you met, a birth, a wedding — and see the real stars above it, free.

Make the sky of YOUR date

Want this night on your wall? Make a print-ready A3 star-chart poster of 24 February 1987 — 4.99.

All 75 historic night skies · The night sky on your birthday