Comet Neowise brought out a neighbor I barely knew

Back in July 2020 I set up my little 80mm refractor in the front yard to catch Comet Neowise before it faded away. An older guy from three houses down came walking over around 9pm, shuffling in his slippers with a coffee mug in hand. He just stood there quiet for a minute, then asked if he could take a look. I let him use the eyepiece and he stayed for maybe 20 minutes, not saying much. When he finally pulled back, he had tears in his eyes and said it reminded him of watching the Hale-Bopp comet with his wife back in 1997 before she passed. He thanked me three times and walked home slow. I think about that moment every time I drag gear outside. Has anyone else had a stranger share something personal over a telescope? That kind of thing make you feel more connected to your own neighborhood.

2 comments

2 Comments

ward.piper1mo ago

Three houses down and you had NEVER met him before that night? That absolutely blows my MIND. I've lived in my neighborhood for 8 years and barely know the names of the people on my own block, let alone someone three doors away. The fact that a comet and a cheap little telescope brought him out of his house and right into your yard to share something THAT heavy is just wild to me. He held onto that memory with his wife for 23 years, and then just walked up to a stranger and let it out. I don't think I could do that, I'd be too scared of being awkward or weird. But it sounds like you handled it perfectly by just letting him have the moment.

seth_carr1mo ago

Wait, you went eight years without even knowing your neighbors' names? That is wild to me.