A supernova is the huge explosion in which massive stars end their lives. Supernova 1987A exploded in the Large Magellanic Cloud on 23 February 1987, and was the first supernova to be visible to the naked eye since 1604. It is the brightest star in this picture (bottom right), which was taken two weeks after the explosion. By then the supernova had turned from blue to deep yellow as it cooled. Although previously all supernovae were thought to originate from red supergiants, the star that exploded was blue. This photograph also shows the spidery tendrils of the enormous Tarantula Nebula (NGC 2070), the largest and brightest nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud.