  The possible detection of a compact object in the remnant of SN 1987A
presents an unprecedented opportunity to follow its early evolution. The
suspected detection stems from an excess of infrared emission from a dust blob
near the compact object's predicted position. The infrared excess could be due
to the decay of isotopes like 44Ti, accretion luminosity from a neutron star or
black hole, magnetospheric emission or a wind originating from the spindown of
a pulsar, or thermal emission from an embedded, cooling neutron star (NS
1987A). It is shown that the last possibility is the most plausible as the
other explanations are disfavored by other observations and/or require
fine-tuning of parameters. Not only are there indications the dust blob
overlaps the predicted location of a kicked compact remnant, but its excess
luminosity also matches the expected thermal power of a 30 year old neutron
star. Furthermore, models of cooling neutron stars within the Minimal Cooling
paradigm readily fit both NS 1987A and Cas A, the next-youngest known neutron
star. If correct, a long heat transport timescale in the crust and a large
effective stellar temperature are favored, implying relatively limited crustal
n-1S0 superfluidity and an envelope with a thick layer of light elements,
respectively. If the locations don't overlap, then pulsar spindown or accretion
might be more likely, but the pulsar's period and magnetic field or the
accretion rate must be rather finely tuned. In this case, NS 1987A may have
enhanced cooling and/or a heavy-element envelope.
