While astronomers and science fiction fans often wish otherwise, there are times when the vastness of space works to our advantage, simply because it keeps us out of harm's way. For example: supernova explosions are some of the most violent events in the cosmos, sometimes outshining their entire host galaxy. The supernova appearing in the sky on July 4, 1054 was brighter than Venus; its remnant, the Crab Nebula, is still an intense X-ray source. However, the star that went kaboom was about 6,500 light-years away from Earth, meaning our planet wasn't in any danger.

No star that will go supernova in the foreseeable future is close enough to the Solar System to pose a risk to us. But what stars might be close enough to provide us with a lovely show—and a great example for study? Here are just a few, all within the Milky Way, with at least a slim chance of going boom before humans go extinct from other causes.

If you want a list of all stars within 1,000 light-years that could potentially go supernova, check out Phil Plait's book, Death from the Skies. He doesn't list prognoses for the time death or include type Ia candidates, but the book has a lot more info if you want to have some fun.

Listing image by Earthsky