In 185 A.D., Chinese astronomers saw a strange "guest star" suddenly appear in the night sky. It was visible for a staggering eight months. That was enough time for ancient skywatchers to take notice and make the first-known observation of a supernova in human history.

Will I see a supernova in my lifetime?

Unfortunately, supernovae visible to the naked eye are rare. One occurs in our galaxy every few hundred years, so there is no guarantee you will ever see one in our galaxy in your lifetime. In 1987, a supernova called 1987A was visible in a nearby galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud.

When was the last time humans saw a supernova?

The most recent supernova to be seen in the Milky Way galaxy was SN 1604, which was observed on October 9, 1604. Several people, including Johannes van Heeck, noted the sudden appearance of this star, but it was Johannes Kepler who became noted for his systematic study of the object itself.