Couple Get Engaged Under Comet That's Only Visible Every 6,800 Years

You don't get a second chance to pop the big question to your significant other, so you'd better make sure it's special.

But very few proposals will likely ever match that of John Nicotera, who asked his girlfriend Erica Pendrak to marry him beneath the Neowis comet - which only appears every 6,800 years.

Not bad, eh?

John, 33, had been thinking about asking Erica, 26, if she wanted to get married back in December 2019, but says lockdown had really made him take it seriously.

Speaking to Business Insider, John said: "We've lived together for over a year and a half.

"But just being stuck at home every hour can take a toll on a person, and we had not a single issue.

Tim Leach

"I feel like the honeymoon phase of the relationship might've faded away and that was a big test. We both figured out how to deal with each other's problems, you know?"

And when the self-confessed space fan found out that the rare Neowise comet was set to appear this year (15 July to 23 July), he decided there was no better way to profess his love for Erica.

So the couple went camping in Old Forge, New York, in order to get the best vantage point of the celestial event.

When Erica's pal, Tim, offered to come and take some pictures of the couple beneath the comet, it seemed as if the stars had aligned.

And being an experience photographer, Time knew exactly how to get the best shot of John getting down on one knee while capturing the comet in the sky.

Tim Leach

Looking back at the special moment, John said he had to overcome some serious nerves before he managed to ask Eric to marry him.

He said: "I just remember the amount of happiness I had going through me. All the nerves were gone at that point. I was just like, 'I'm massively in love with this girl. I'm going to do it'."

And John was thankful to Tim for capturing it on film.

He added: "He froze the greatest moment of my life so far. It's not just a memory. I can relive it as long as that photo lasts, and we are always going to have that."

Erica, who burst into tears when her partner popped the question, said: "I'm just really happy Tim was able to be there and capture that moment for us."

Dominic Smithers

Dominic graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History. Like you, Dom has often questioned how much use a second language has been. Well, after stints working at the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express, along with never setting foot in France, he realised the answer is surprisingly little. But I guess, c'est la vie. Contact us at [email protected]

@SmithersDom