Supernovae have occurred in our Milky Way in the past: in 1604, 1572, 1054 and 1006, among others, with a number of them being so bright that they were visible during the day. But none of them were as close at Betelgeuse.

At only 600-or-so light years distant, Betelgeuse will be far closer than any supernova ever recorded by humanity. It’s fortunately still far away enough that it poses no danger to us. Our planet’s magnetic field will easily deflect any energetic particles that happen to come our way, and it’s distant enough that the high-energy radiation reaching us will be so low-density that it will have less of an impact on you than the banana you had at breakfast. But oh, will it ever appear bright.

Not only will Betelgeuse be visible during the day, but it will rival the Moon for the second-brightest object in the sky. Some models “only” have Betelgeuse getting as bright as a thick crescent moon, while others will see it rival the entire full moon. It will conceivably be the brightest object in the night sky for more than a year until it finally fades away to a dimmer state.