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Exploding Star May Be Seen From Earth
fjordboy writes "The star Rho Cas, which can be seen by the naked eye from the Northern Hemisphere, is showing signs that it may be exploding in the near future. Rho exploded in 2000, creating a cloud of gas over 10,000 times the size of earth (which isn't all that large in space scales), however, the same star is showing signs of collapsing which may point to a much larger explosion in the near future, which should be large enough to be seen by backyard astronomers with little to no specialized equipment. MSNBC has more info, Space.com also has the story here and here."
That star must be pretty damn close if it exploded in 2000 and we can already see it.
I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.
Rho Cas, as it is often referred to, is visible to skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere who have dark sky conditions away from city lights, prompting the astronomers to suggest that amateurs might spot the next explosion.
But then they go on to say:
An eruption would pose no danger to Earth, and in fact would likely be spotted only by seasoned skywatchers who know how to navigate the sea of stars surrounding the relatively dim Rho Cas.