Supermeteor

The aeroplane shot ahead like a supermeteor.

ONE OF THE MAJOR PROBLEMS in astronomy is the (sometimes) seemingly interminable waits between some of the more beautiful celestial phenomena. For instance, if you want to see a solar eclipse, where you not only have to wait for one, but you have to go where it is. If you’re really lucky, you might see one fireball, or supermeteor, in your lifetime. And there are beautiful but infrequent apparitions of Mars, one of which will peak this month.

Societies are often warned that they face grave dangers (for instance, oil is about to be exhausted, a supermeteor is approaching, the ratio of dependent to working population is rising rapidly) and hence should take extraordinary measures to protect themselves.