Galactic fireworks - How would the people in the world react if there was a naked-eye visible supernova similar to the ones in the years 1604 and 1054?

they would freak out. or stare at it.

I think that given the prevalence of news reporting and the advances of science, the reaction on the whole would be one of interest, not of uncertainty.

But there will always be those people who view it as a message from God that the end is near, just as there will be those who don’t care enough to turn off the Xbox and go outside to check it out.

I think it would be interesting to see, but with my luck it would probably happen on an overcast night with little warning. How long do you think it would be shining in the sky? Hours, days or weeks?

Isn’t it just like a bipolar nebula to exhibit signs of a false supernova…

Good question, Matt! At this very minute, I’m watching the History Channel Mega Disasters show on asteroids hitting the earth. Totally cool.

It depends:

1. Most people would watch or read news reports on the phenomenon, read the guidelines for safe viewing, set up viewing parties and feel lucky to have witnessed such a rare historic event.

2. Conspiracy theorists would talk endlessly about how there has been a massive cover-up of the fact that a) the US government b) the new world order or c) the lizard aliens have caused the cataclysm through a) a massive nuclear explosion b) a heretofore unknown superweapon or c) secret contact with an advanced race of aliens they then sold out our planet to.

3. Preservationists and end-of-the-worlders would head to various locations in the figurative hills, and then, depending on their type, either load the automatic weapons and seal the entrance to their bunkers to await the run on their resources from the unprepared or have an orgy and commit mass suicide.

4. The born againers would all head for their churches where fire-and-brimstone preachers would thunder on about how this is clearly God’s judgment on a sinful world.

In fact, reading over this, I suspect it is not much different from the responses of the populace in those earlier times except that I hope that Group 1 is larger.

If a supernova occurred within our own galaxy, it would light up the night sky.

The reactions would vary.
The religious crowd would be quick to assume it was a divine event.
There would be people who would think the world was ending.
The scientific community would explode in a flurry of excitement.
Lots of people would get high and trip out.
I would be worried that some people would go absolutely nuts.

If I witnessed such an event, I’d probably stand and stare dumbfounded before going to get something to draw on. I suppose I’d also be as fascinated by peoples reactions to the event as I would the event itself.

I think the press prepared the public pretty well in 1996 before comet Hale-Bopp became visible during the night. But supposedly there had been some UFO claims.

From Wikipedia: Amateur astronomer Chuck Shramek called a radio program to announce that he had discovered a “Saturn-like object” following Hale-Bopp. UFO enthusiasts, such as remote viewing proponent Courtney Brown, soon concluded that there was an alien spacecraft following the comet.

A few months later, in March 1997, the Heaven’s Gate cult chose the appearance of the comet as a signal for their mass cult suicide. They claimed they were leaving their earthly bodies to travel to the spaceship following the comet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Hale-Bopp#UFO_claims

Now a spectacular supernova would be tens of thousands of times brighter than the comet, so I guess the weird people would really freak out, as described in all the posts above.

@Marina – Hilarious comment. I love the heretofore unknown superweapon.

@AlfredaPrufrock – Well, larger asteroids hitting Earth are about disaster. A supernova would have to be really close to cause any harm. Astronomers know all the larger stars in our vicinity. But they don’t know about long-period comets headed for Earth.