What effect does a supernova have on nearby stars?

Risk by supernova type. Speculation as to the effects of a nearby supernova on Earth often focuses on large stars as Type II supernova candidates. Several prominent stars within a few hundred light years of the Sun are candidates for becoming supernovae in as little as a millennium. read more

The whitish-red region near Earth (not drawn to scale) represents material that has been expelled by recent supernova explosions. Credit: Michael Schulreich The closest supernovas to Earth may have blasted the planet with enough radiation to influence human evolution, researchers say. read more