Kepler's Supernova is the most recent supernova to be observed within the Milky Way.

SN 1604, also known as Kepler's Supernova, Kepler's Nova or Kepler's Star, was a Type Ia supernova that occurred in the Milky Way, in the constellation Ophiuchus. Appearing in October 1604, it is the most recent supernova in the Milky Way galaxy to have been unquestionably observed by the naked eye, occurring no farther than 6 kiloparsecs from Earth.

Before the adoption of the current naming system for supernovae, it was named for Johannes Kepler, the German astronomer who described it in De Stella Nova.

Keplers supernova
Keplers supernova (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Kepler Drawing of SN 1604
Kepler Drawing of SN 1604 (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Kepler's Supernova Remnant- A Star's Death Comes to Life (2941498208)
Kepler's Supernova Remnant- A Star's Death Comes to Life (2941498208) (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
ESO-VLT-Laser-phot-33a-07
ESO-VLT-Laser-phot-33a-07 (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Watch: A Tour of Kepler's Supernova Remnant

From the Chandra X-ray Observatory channel.

Sources and further reading: Wikipedia — Kepler's Supernova, Milky Way (CC BY-SA). Images: Wikimedia Commons.