IIRC, “Betelgeuse” (sp varies) is about 495 light years away.
So a GOOD science reporter would point out that likely the star is already a supernova, having exploded generations ago; but we will not see the light from that event for a number of years, perhaps in 2012.
Betelgeuse is Orion’s right shoulder, presuming he is facing us. A clear night sky in the northern hemisphere makes Betelgeuse readily visible up an to the left of Orion’s belt. Start looking about 9 - 11 PM. You can see it well with the naked eye.
No one knows that it likely already is a supernova. It may not explode for thousands of years.