Nearby supernovas
Supernova explosions take place usually when a star has reached the end of its life, and occur usually once or twice every 100 years in our Milky Way. However, it is more likely to occur closer to the dense center of the Milky Way, and we happen to be two-thirds of the way from the middle, which is not that bad. So, should we expect a supernova to get closer anytime soon?
The star Betelgeuse, which is a red supergiant that’s close to the end of its life, is in the constellation of Orion, which is only 460-650 light-years away. It might become a supernova now or probably in the next million years.
Somehow, astronomers have managed to estimate that a supernova might need to be within at least 50 light-years of us for its radiation to damage the ozone layer, which means that this particular star shouldn’t be too much of a concern.
