Has anyone ever seen a star explode with the naked eye?

[spaceinvador_old]

Last month a person on another web forum stated he was looking up (at nightime) and saw what appeared to be an star explode or something that would look like it. I told him to post his experience here, but he never did.

 

[qso1]

I think anyone who witnessed supernova 1987A can make that claim as that explosion was said to be visible to the naked eye. But no known supernovas within naked eye range have occured to my knowledge since 1987A. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[vogon13]

Ian Shelton realized SN 1987 was naked eye visible from his photos, went outside and looked at it.<br /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[derekmcd]

A naked eye supernova would make news in very short order. I think there have been only a very small handful in the last 1000 years that can be seen without assistance. And to actually witness it happen as it happens... not likely. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div> </div><br /><div><span style="color:#0000ff" class="Apple-style-span">"If something's hard to do, then it's not worth doing." - Homer Simpson</span></div> </div>

 

[search]

Only 3 chances in 400 years and the last one very recently:<br />http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2005/sn87a/

 

[alokmohan]

Thrilling news of Ian shelton.It made head lines in science journals and public press.