T-ReCS mid-infrared (N band) image around Supernova 1987A

This T-ReCS mid-infrared (N band) image revealed for the first time a dusty equatorial ring around Supernova 1987A as well as a faint trace of the explosion ejecta at the center (from Bouchet, et al. 2004, ApJL, 611, 394). This ring of material will change in shape and intensity as the supernova blast wave travels through it. The white circle represents the FWHM at 8 microns of the Spitzer Space Telescope for comparison.