New supernova appears in nearby galaxy

A new supernova suddenly appeared in a nearby galaxy this week, at least 12 million light-years away.

This is the closest star explosion to be spotted from Earth in at least 20 years, and it has captured the attention of stargazers.

Professional astronomers and amateur sky watchers have captured images of the brilliant star explosion, which was discovered by students at the University College London.

You can watch a video of the explosion here.