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What does a comet flying to Earth promise: a sign against the backdrop of a terrible prophecy
Comets have amazed people since ancient times, unexpectedly appearing in the sky and then mysteriously disappearing. The heavenly guest was considered a harbinger of trouble. Mikhail Shakhnovich, the author of the publication "True and Superstitious Signs", claims that according to popular beliefs, comets foretell war, famine and disease.
Just before the start of the Great Patriotic War in 1812, a "hairy comet with a huge, brightly shining tail" appeared in the sky. Leo Tolstoy also mentioned this comet in his novel War and Peace. Before Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union, three comets appeared in the sky in January, February, and June 1941.
But scientists say there's nothing unusual about these celestial bodies. Most comets originate from the Oort Cloud and enter the inner solar system, orbiting the sun in very long orbits. When a comet, made of dust and ice, gets close enough to its star, its outer layers evaporate, forming a long tail.
The day before, a huge comet flying towards Earth could be seen in the sky with the naked eye. We are talking about the object C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, last seen by Neanderthals 80,000 years ago. Scientists have already found out that the tail is at least 6 million kilometers long.
Meanwhile, as far as superstitions are concerned, on this day, US presidential candidate Donald Trump predicted the start time of World War III. According to him, it will start in 2-3 months.
"What worries me in the next few months is that we are going to end up in a world war because of the people in government," he said.
Time will tell whether the dire predictions come true. In the meantime, the comet, which will be at its closest approach at a distance of about 70 million km from Earth, will remain in the sky for almost three weeks.