I, Too, Witnessed Comet Lemon

I heard that Comet Lemon would be visible to the naked eye this autumn. It was discovered in January of this year, and its closest approach to Earth is in October. Its orbital period is so long that it will be over 1,000 years before we can see it again.

"1,000 years from now"

To think that a chance to encounter a comet I didn't even know existed until recently would suddenly arrive. This is truly a "once-in-a-lifetime" event. Various metaphors came to mind, like how the god of opportunity only has hair on the front.

When I heard a number as astronomical as 1,000 years, I thought I wanted to see it at least once. I truly felt that way.

And yet, on the day the comet was closest, I was caught up in my daily life and didn't even have the luxury of looking up at the sky. To make matters worse, the sky was covered in thick clouds.

"Oh, I missed it. I wonder if I'll ever have another chance."

It was just when I was about to give up that I happened to see a video posted by astronaut Kimiya Yui on X (formerly Twitter). It showed a sight even better than what I had hoped to see.

It was a time-lapse image of twilight taken from the space station. Against the backdrop of the magnificent Milky Way, it showed that Comet Lemon quietly sinking beyond the Earth.

I gasped. My wish had truly come true.

To be able to share a view from space in near real-time while being here on Earth. What a miraculous era we live in.

Whether I saw it with my own eyes or not became a trivial matter. My wish was more than fulfilled. While sitting at home, I was able to let my consciousness soar to a scale of the universe I couldn't even imagine.

I suddenly wonder: if I saw a shooting star, what would I wish for now?

"May I sleep peacefully tonight as well."

Fortunately, such a small wish is granted almost every night. What kind of wish is in your heart right now?

Make a wish upon a star.

Today, I participated in Riri Kiki's project, "note de Noël".

Day 21: Today's Light Word Fortune "Wish"