Nearly 160,000 years ago a star in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a galaxy close to our own Milky Way, erupted in violent death. Travelling at the speed of light, the radiation from this explosion reached Earth in February 1987. This was the brightest supernova in four centuries and one of the most significant discoveries of 20th century astronomy. The saga of Supernova 1987A began with a once-in-a-lifetime observation by a lone astronomer in the Andes mountains. Astronomers soon found that the death throes of a far-off sun yielded a treasure trove of information. The results they obtained, and the basic principles behind them, are detailed in this account from one of the leading writers on astronomy today. Dr Goldsmith's story spans the globe. As he depicts dramatic advances, Goldsmith penetrates the scientific headlines. He recalls our historical fascination with supernovae; explains how stars form and then live through nuclear fusion; reveals a star's different kinds of electromagnetic radiation; and shows how exploding stars transform primordial material into the complex elements essential to life on Earth. Donald Goldsmith is the author of eight books on astronomy, including Nemesis, named the best book of 1986 by the American Institute of Physics. He contributed to the Cosmos series on American television, and is currently the lead writer for a forthcoming series, The Astronomers.