It sure would be something to see in our lifetimes.
DUDE! I'm not living through 600+ more family reunions just to see a star blow up and gamma-burst humanity into crispy critters.
I've got some dying to do before then.
/johnny
We are due for a supernova in our own galaxy. It will be very bright, brighter than Venus. The brightest supernova was near Beta Lupi in 1006. It was almost as bright as the Full Moon. Later that century in 1054, there was another supernova, which is now the Crab Nebula. Having two bright supernova in the same century is a rarity.