Waiting for the next galactic supernova

The discovery of the 1987 A supernova generated interest not only among the astrophysicists but also among the particle physicists. It is considered that the supernova released about 1058 neutrinos in all directions and a few tens of them were actually detected on earth by several neutrino experiments in Japan, the US and in the Russian Caucasus. The study of the neutrinos help to validate the models about the end of life of stars. Neutrinos travel at almost the speed of light and very, very few interact with matter while photons can be hindered and slowed down when they escape the supernova. In the case of the 1987 A supernova neutrinos were detected on earth about 3 hours before the first photons. The detection of an abnormal quantity of neutrinos might be the signal of the birth of a supernova. Experts considered that a few stars could turn into supernovae in the Milky Way every century. Their photons might be absorbed by the interstellar dust cloud and as a consequence some supernovae might not be visible from earth but their neutrinos will be detected