QUESTION:
Is there any star close enough to the earth besides the sun
that could explode and effect the solar system and or the earth

ANSWER by Bob Loewenstein on October 31, 1995:
FIrst, a planetary nebula is not a real 'explosive' event. It's
more like a burp of the star, and the gas is so tenuous, that it
would be unlikely to affect the earth.

Your question probably is asking about supernovae, very explosive events
that occur in stars as they end their life cycle. Are you asking about
things that could happen now? or in the far future? Realize that the
supernovae rate in a galaxy like the milky way is about three explosions per
century. At this rate, it is very unlikely that a star nearby will explode
in the near future.