The following passage is an except from an article about the proposed Hop-Enabled Real-time Observatory Information and Coordination (HEROIC) service from NCSA:

"With hundreds of observatories scattered throughout the world, there has never been a better time for astronomers to observe the infinite universe that lies beyond Earth. At any moment in time, a telescope pointed at the night sky can observe new transient phenomena, such as supernovae that brighten rapidly and then fade away over days to months, releasing massive amounts of energy in the process. These events are rare in any single galaxy and each gives researchers more insight into the dynamic time-domain sky."