Comet Lovejoy from space

    Caption: "Long-period comet Comet Lovejoy (AKA C/2011 W3, orbital period ∼ 622 yr) is visible near Earth's horizon behind airglow in this nighttime image photographed by NASA astronaut Daniel C. Burbank, Expedition 30 commander, onboard the International Space Station (ISS), 2011 Dec22." (Slightly edited.)

      When beggars die, there are no comets seen;
      The heavens themselves blaze forth
            the death of princes.

        ---Calpurnia (c.76--after c.42 BCE) to Julius Caesar (100--44 BCE) in Act 2, Scene 2 (scroll down about 25 %) of Julius Caesar (c. 1599), William Shakespeare (1564--1616). What Calpurnia means that comets do NOT herald the deaths of people NOT in high politics. She'd admit some NOT-high ones die when comets are around just coincidentally.

    In Shakespeare's time, comets were still often considered literal signs. To this day, the long-haired stars evoke some misgiving especially as a collision with one would be a disaster (i.e., a bad star event).

    Credit/Permission: NASA, Daniel C. Burbank (1961--), 2011 (uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by User:Ottojula, 2012) / Public domain.
    Image link: Wikimedia Commons: File:Iss030e015472 Edit.jpg.
    Local file: comet_lovejoy.html.
    File: Comet file: comet_lovejoy.html.