# How would a nearby kilonova look on camera?

## TL;DR

This paper explores how a kilonova, typically observed at vast cosmological distances, would appear if it occurred just 1000 light years away in the Solar System, aiding visualization and understanding of its spectral evolution.

## Contribution

It provides a detailed simulation of a nearby kilonova's appearance and spectral evolution, which is a novel visualization of such rare events at close range.

## Key findings

- A nearby kilonova would be extremely bright and visually distinctive.
- Spectral evolution would be more easily observable than at cosmological distances.
- Visualization helps in understanding the physical processes of kilonovae.

## Abstract

Kilonovae are cosmic optical flashes produced in the aftermath of the merger of two neutron stars. While the typical radiant flux of a kilonova can be as high as $10^{34}$\,W, they typically occur at cosmological distances, requiring meter-class or larger telescopes for their observation. Here we explore how a kilonova would look like from Earth if it occurred in the Solar System's backyard, 1000 light years from Earth. This is a small distance on cosmological scales, with only one neutron-star merger expected to occur this close every 100,000,000 years. While humans will likely only see kilonovae at much greater distances, showing how such a nearby event would look on camera can help visualize these events, and demonstrate their unique spectral evolution.