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[Al Degutis]

A supernova (SN 2005cs) has been discovered in M51. It is currently at magnitude 13.5, but it's brightening, and should reach the mid 12's. This will likely be the brightest supernova in many years. It is located in the first spiral arm, roughly opposite of NGC 5195.

Images:
astron.berkeley.edu/~bait/2005/sn2005-m51.gif
ukastroimaging.co.uk/forums/files/m51_supernova.jpg

Measure of magnitudes since discovery:
www.astrosurf.com/snweb2/2005/05cs/05csMeas.htm

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

By the looks of it, this was one hell of an explosion!

This image taken from Al's reference link: UKAstro.

Here is a site devoted to the event: www.rochesterastronomy.org/sn2005/sn2005cs.html

I'll attempt a view of M51 from under the muck of Chicago.

I wonder how long ago this happened, and how many worlds it took with it.

[Maddad]

Probably very few. You have to be withint 25 or so light years of a supernova for it to extinguish life on a world. That's going to limit you to a very few stars, something like a dozen or few tens. This SN is out on a spiral arm and not in the central buldge, so the density of stars will be about what we have here. Of course, if you're one of the dozen, you're having a bad hair day.