Why would you not see a supernova explosion?

Answer 1

Because the nearest star to us is a couple hundred light years away. This means it will take a couple hundred years for the light given off by that star to reach us. Samething goes for a super nova. So right now a super nova is probably happening somewhere and we wont know about it for a long long time. If our sun went super nova we would have 8 minutes until we would know about it and then we would all be dead.

No, the nearest star to us is 4-and-a-bit light years away (the alpha Centauri system) but alpha centauri is very similar to the Sun and thus not massive enough to become a supernova.

If you were looking at the sky and a star went supernova, you most definitely would see it!

Answer 2

The most common reason why you might not see a supernova would be if it occured on the other side of the Milky Way galaxy. The dense gas and dust clouds in the galaxy make it impossible to see what's on the other side.

Answer 3

Supernova remnants can be seen with a telescope like the Crab Nebula. The result of the 1054 Supernova.

To witness the actual supernova explosion, you have to be very very lucky. Be in the right place at the right time and looking in the right direction. The actual explosion is over in seconds.

The chances are not good.

Our best chance is Betelgeuse the right shoulder of Orion. If we will see a supernova explosion, this is our best chance. It may already have exploded but we are just waiting for the light from the explosion to reach us. Betelgeuse is 600 light years from us. So if it exploded today, we would not see it another 600 years.

Answer 4

We would and we have. in 1054 the Chinese saw a bright star during the day, it was a supernova. In 1987 a supernova was seen in the Southern Hemisphere.

Answer 5

Normally, they are too far away to see. However, some are close enough to see, even during the day like SN1054.