Why it was made: "Commemorative." They apparently stamped that decal on three different models of otherwise ordinary mainline matchbox cars. They paint matchbox cars at all to make them special; "I got a red one." "I'll trade you my blue corvette and my yellow and purple flames chevelle for your Halley's comet firebird."
Who would buy it: Collectors, because "commemorative." And apparently parents/loved ones of children, because it's a toy car. I take it you had fun playing with it as a kid? If so, I'd say it did its job. Those little comet decals seem to have helped form strong memories of it.
Hopefully all of MAGA does the same as the Heaven's Gate cult and castrate themselves and zip-tie plastic bags to their heads when they sleep as the comet flys overhead.
On 9 December 2023, Halley's Comet reached the farthest and slowest point in its orbit from the Sun when it was travelling at 0.91 km/s (2,000 mph) with respect to the Sun.
Eh, I get the sentiment. Nothing in space comes to a stop and most speeds are well beyond human comprehension. The Earth orbits at 67,000mph, escape velocity is like 27,000mph, the ground at the equator moves at about 1,000mph, the Voyagers are in the 30k range, and the Park Solar probe peaks over 400,000mph. So to learn that a comet is a tangible aviation speed was neat to me, at least
23 Comments
thagoat@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 29 pts · 257d
Interesting way to say it's a little more than halfway through its cycle.
ImgurRefugee114@reddthat.com · 2 pts · 257d
expatriado@lemmy.world · 19 pts · 257d
I was thinking about Halley just few days ago, I was a kid last time, and was wondering if i will make it to next visit
myrmidex@belgae.social · 13 pts · 257d
Tell me about it. My day of birth is closer to WW2 than to the present. So depressing!
Hule@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 257d
#metoo
But it's not really depressing, we're still better off than the other option!
baggachipz@sh.itjust.works · 12 pts · 257d
When I was a lad, I had a special edition Halley’s Comet Matchbox Car. No idea why.
captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 257d
It's last pass was in 1986.
baggachipz@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 256d
Right, but why a Matchbox car? I must have gotten it as a present, but who would buy such a thing and why was it made?
captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 256d
Why it was made: "Commemorative." They apparently stamped that decal on three different models of otherwise ordinary mainline matchbox cars. They paint matchbox cars at all to make them special; "I got a red one." "I'll trade you my blue corvette and my yellow and purple flames chevelle for your Halley's comet firebird."
Who would buy it: Collectors, because "commemorative." And apparently parents/loved ones of children, because it's a toy car. I take it you had fun playing with it as a kid? If so, I'd say it did its job. Those little comet decals seem to have helped form strong memories of it.
BaroqueInMind@piefed.social · 11 pts · 257d
Hopefully all of MAGA does the same as the Heaven's Gate cult and castrate themselves and zip-tie plastic bags to their heads when they sleep as the comet flys overhead.
grue@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 257d
Hopefully they pick a different comet that arrives a lot sooner!
captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 257d
That was Hale-Bopp not Halley's comet.
jqubed@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 257d
misophonium@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 10 pts · 257d
My mind is fully blown that the SR-71 could outrun a comet
jqubed@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 257d
That’s like saying I can outrun a TGV (while it’s departing the train station)
XeroxCool@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 257d
Eh, I get the sentiment. Nothing in space comes to a stop and most speeds are well beyond human comprehension. The Earth orbits at 67,000mph, escape velocity is like 27,000mph, the ground at the equator moves at about 1,000mph, the Voyagers are in the 30k range, and the Park Solar probe peaks over 400,000mph. So to learn that a comet is a tangible aviation speed was neat to me, at least
XeroxCool@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 257d
The SR-71 could almost outrun the moon. Maybe it could. Claimed max 2,200mph vs average 2,288mph of the moon
ivanafterall@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 257d
Correction: Halley's Comet's next visit will be its last.
AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 257d
(sharpens knife)
captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 257d
🎶 I don't wanna clooose my eyeeees 🎶
ivanafterall@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 256d
Mark Chesnutt? Nice!
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 257d
It's all pot8's fault, them and that shifty eyed dog
NullPointerException@lemmy.ca · 4 pts · 257d
Oh the disappointment the last one was… just a blob, like a small cloud. In contrast, the Tsuchinshan in 2024 was so much better to see.
Oaksey@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 256d
Cool!
💔