Once in a Lifetime Opportunities · 6:56am Jul 23rd, 2020

Take advantage of this Once in a Lifetime Opportunity!

We hear that often, don't we? Buy this thing now! "See X! Do Y! Experience Z!" By now we're self-taught to tune that out for the most part. Just more drivel to sell you something in a brochure.

But on rare occasion, it's a true statement. And this week is certainly one of those rare moments. And it's all thanks to C/2020 F3, aka "Comet NEOWISE".

Scientists discovered it on March 27, 2020, using the WISE telescope. It was officially named on March 31st, and entered into the record as the third official comet discovered so far this year. Here's where the amazing stuff happens though:

On July 3rd, the comet made its closest approach to the Sun, which added 4400 years to its orbital period, making its new OP ~6700 years.

Think about that for a second. Let it soak in. Given it's strongly parabolic trajectory, the comet's OP was already going to be on the order of 1-2 thousand years. But then add 4400 more!

Assuming these estimates are correct, the comet I've spent the last few nights watching from the backyard with a pair of binoculars will pass my way again on/around JULY 22, 8720.

For those keeping score at home, we're in the early part of the 3rd millennium. The year 8720 is on the latter end of the NINTH MILLENNIUM.

So when they say "Once in a Lifetime Opportunity"... for once they're spot on. There is not a single living creature on this planet right now that will be here the next time NEOWISE swings by. Hell, for all we know there may be nothing here at all in the year 8720.

That's both jaw dropping, and in an odd way, utterly devastating to think about.

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PS: If the comet is visible at all from your location on Earth, take every possible avenue to catch sight of it in the next few days. If skies are favorable, you'll find it under the "cup" section of the Big Dipper, decently high off the horizon.

Report Vic Fontaine · 189 views ·

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