We are only 150 light years
away from HR 8210 at present - well short of the 160 to
200 light years thought to be the minimum safe distance from a supernova.
If it did let fly, the high-energy electromagnetic radiation and cosmic
rays it released would destroy Earth's ozone layer within
minutes, giving life little chance of survival. "The fact
that there's such a system so close to us suggests maybe these
objects are not so rare," says Latham.