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Q&A: Supernova Remnants and Neutron Stars
Q:
When will the next supernova explosion be?
A:
It's not possible to predict when the next
supernova explosion will be, but you don't have to wait very
long. Throughout the Universe, countless supernova explosions happen every
day. In our own galaxy, there probably hasn't been a supernova explosion
for hundreds of years. Astronomers have identified several large, unstable
stars in our galaxy that might be the next to explode, but they can only
guess when such an explosion might happen. In distant galaxies where
individual stars cannot be seen, it's obviously even harder to make
predictions.