Speaking astronomically, Betelgeuse has been shrinking for the last 16 years, and has gone down in size by 15%. Some astronomers suspect that the star (which is 430 ly away) may have already exploded.
My limited understanding of supernova physics is that we're safe as long as it doesn't happen within 100 ly (from sheer material outburst), that it would result a patch of light on the sky as bright as full moon (thereabouts) for a couple of months, and that thanks to the axis of the star being pointed away from us, we're not susceptible to gamma bursts coming off from the poles (since those can apparently go further than 100 ly).
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Date: 2009-06-10 04:20 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-06-10 04:35 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-06-10 06:43 pm (UTC)http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/10/betelgeuse_shrinkage/
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Date: 2009-06-17 11:05 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-06-17 02:44 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-06-17 06:21 pm (UTC)