  Play associated audio  Something violent is happening in the
night sky, right now. And scientists studying the phenomenon
said yesterday that with a pair good binoculars or a telescope
you can see a star in its final throes causing a spectacular
explosion called a supernova.  Even though the star is 21
million light years away from Earth, the explosion is the
closest and brightest astronomers have found in decades. Today
will be its brightest night.  Reuters reports:   The detection
so early of a supernova so near has created a worldwide stir
among astronomers, who are clamoring to observe it with every
telescope at their disposal, including the giant Hubble Space
Telescope.  The star is located in the Pinwheel Galaxy, and you
can spot it, weather permitting, above the Big Dipper. USA Today
says the best time to catch it is just after sunset, before the
moon brightens the sky.  The paper also explains a bit of the
science behind what's going on:  The supernova belongs to the
widely observed "Type 1a" group,