Context : Supernova 1987A ( SN 1987A ) in the neighbouring Large Magellanic Cloud offers a superb opportunity to follow the evolution of a supernova and its remnant in unprecedented detail .
Recently , far-infrared ( far-IR ) and sub-mm emission was detected from the direction of SN 1987A , which was interpreted as due to the emission from dust , possibly freshly synthesized in the SN ejecta .

Aims : To better constrain the location and hence origin of the far-IR and sub-mm emission in SN 1987A , we have attempted to resolve the object in that part of the electro-magnetic spectrum .

Methods : We observed SN 1987A during July–September 2011 with the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment ( APEX ) , at a wavelength of 350 \mu m with the Submillimetre APEX Bolometer CAmera ( SABOCA ) and at 870 \mu m with the Large APEX BOlometer CAmera ( LABOCA ) .
The 350- \mu m image has superior angular resolution ( 8 ^ { \prime \prime } ) over that of the Herschel Space Observatory 350- \mu m image ( 25 ^ { \prime \prime } ) .
The 870- \mu m observation ( at 20 ^ { \prime \prime } resolution ) is a repetition of a similar observation made in 2007 .

Results : In both images , at 350 and 870 \mu m , emission is detected from SN 1987A , and the source is unresolved .
The flux densities in the new ( 2011 ) measurements are consistent with those measured before with Herschel at 350 \mu m ( in 2010 ) and with APEX at 870 \mu m ( in 2007 ) .
A higher dust temperature ( \approx 33 K ) and lower dust mass might be possible than what was previously thought .

Conclusions : The new measurements , at the highest angular resolution achieved so far at far-IR and sub-mm wavelengths , strengthen the constraints on the location of the emission , which is thought to be close to the site of SN 1987A and its circumstellar ring structures .
These measurements set the stage for upcoming observations at even higher angular resolution with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array ( ALMA ) .