Figure 12-15 Supernova 1987A A supernova was discovered in a nearby galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) in 1987. This photograph shows a portion of the LMC that includes the supernova and a huge H II region, called the Tarantula Nebula. At its maximum brightness, observers at southern latitudes saw the supernova without a telescope. (Insets) The star before and after it exploded.