Last night, the nova had an apparent brightness of a half- or three-quarter moon. It roughly follows the path of the sun across the sky and is highly visible during daytime hours. While experts say the nova should present no immediate health danger from radiation or other effects, they are advising the public to be cautious until more information is available.
Public reaction has been enormous. On the west coast of the United States where the nova appeared in the late evening, streets were crowded with people even before the news officially broke. In Tokyo, Japan, nearly everything ground to halt when the nova appeared high overhead. There have been reports of large religious gatherings in Delhi, India, and street parties in Washington, D.C.
Most experts have refused to comment on the accuracy of University of California astronomer Anton Zallian's prediction of the explosion, but preliminary observations seem to indicate that this nova is much larger than it should be. "Stars that size can explode, but theoretically they can't supernova," said one researcher. "This is much brighter and more powerful than it ought to be." At this time, there have been no estimates released regarding how long the nova may be visible in the sky.