Wiki on the co-discoverer Ian Shelton:
Quote:
Discovery of Supernova 1987A
On February 23, 1987, Shelton, while working in Chile for the University of Toronto, discovered a previously undetected bright light on a photograph of the Large Magellanic Cloud. Initially skeptical, Shelton made an unusual move and went outside to look with the naked eye, only to notice the bright light was indeed present. His discovery turned out to be a supernova, the first visible to the naked eye since Johannes Kepler observed SN 1604 nearly 383 years prior.
His discovery was not short lived, as other astronomers quickly noticed around the world and disseminated the information. As Shelton reported first, he is credited with the discovery.
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