You May Be Able To See The Closest Supernova In 25-Years Tonight

You may be able to gander at the closest supernova to Earth that astronomers have discovered in the last 25-years from your own backyard tonight. All you need to get your eyes on the new supernova is a small telescope or even binoculars. The coolest thing about this supernova is that it is very young. Astronomers think that they may have found the supernova within hours of its initial explosion on August 24.

The team that discovered the supernova was from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of California, Berkeley and they used a specialized survey telescope at the Palomar Observatory in southern California. The supernova is the closest to us in many years, but it is still very far from Earth.

Apparently, the star is only 21 million light years away from us, whereas most supernovas that are detected are around 1 billion light years away. The close proximity to us means you can see it with basic tools. The supernova is in the Pinwheel Galaxy and you can see it within the Big Dipper. Check out the video below for tips on finding the supernova.

[via Wired]