The coming weekend will be a significant one for Halley’s Comet, also called 1P Halley, as it will reach its farthest point from the sun and then again begin its long journey back towards the inner&nbsp;solar system. Halley's Comet is one of the most well-known comets in the world. It visits us every&nbsp;75 to 79 years, and like other comets,&nbsp;appears in the night sky when it reaches close to the sun.&nbsp;

On Saturday (Dec 9), Halley’s Comet will be reaching aphelion - its most distant point from the sun - in its 75-year journey across the solar system. &nbsp; &nbsp;

The comet which is now reaching its aphelion, is not going to be visible to earthlings for almost another 40 years.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/betelgeuse-one-of-skys-brightest-stars-with-vivid-red-glow-to-disappear-soon-heres-why-667450">Red supergiant star Betelgeuse will disappear soon, and an asteroid is to blame</a>

&nbsp;

As it starts its long journey back into the inner solar system, it will be around 35 Earth-Sun distances, beyond the orbit of Neptune.&nbsp;

<h2>Who will get to see Halley’s Comet in their lifetime?</h2>

To the human&nbsp;eye on Earth, Halley’s Comet will next be visible in the night sky in late July 2061 when it is likely to come much closer and may appear much brighter, than what it looked like in 1986, the last time it was here.

The comet was named after English astronomer Edmond Halley, who was the first to calculate its orbit and make predictions about its return in the 18th century. In human history, Halley’s Comet has made numerous appearances. &nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Gaganyaan: India's first mission to send astronauts to space

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gaganyaan-indias-first-mission-to-send-astronauts-to-space-648224/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">&nbsp;</div>

<h2 class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">Halley’s Comet's Christmas connection</h2>

Halley's Comet also has a&nbsp;Christmas connection and served as inspiration for the Bible story of “Star of Bethlehem".&nbsp;The story goes that Magi, the three wise men, followed&nbsp;a star from the East to Bethlehem while searching for the newborn king.&nbsp;Some believe that what they followed was Halley's Comet. However, there is no clarity on whether or not the bright star they followed indeed was Halley's Comet.&nbsp;

“Comets, which are not stars but star-like in appearance, offer a unique explanation as they move across the sky and could have guided the wise men,” said Dr. Minjae Kim, Research Fellow, Department of Physics, University of Warwick, speaking to Forbes.

“Halley’s Comet was visible in 12 BC, and Chinese and Korean stargazers recorded an object, possibly a comet or nova, around 5 BC, aligning with the estimated time of Jesus’ birth—between 6 BC&nbsp;and 4 BC," he added.

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

The coming weekend will be a significant one for Halley’s Comet, also called 1P Halley, as it will reach its farthest point from the sun and then again begin its long journey back towards the inner solar system.

The coming weekend will be a significant one for Halley’s Comet, also called 1P Halley, as it will reach its farthest point from the sun and then again begin its long journey back towards the inner solar system. Halley's Comet is one of the most well-known comets in the world. It visits us every 75 to 79 years, and like other comets, appears in the night sky when it reaches close to the sun. On Saturday (Dec 9), Halley’s Comet will be reaching aphelion - its most distant point from the sun - in its 75-year journey across the solar system. The comet which is now reaching its aphelion, is not going to be visible to earthlings for almost another 40 years. Also read: Red supergiant star Betelgeuse will disappear soon, and an asteroid is to blame As it starts its long journey back into the inner solar system, it will be around 35 Earth-Sun distances, beyond the orbit of Neptune. Who will get to see Halley’s Comet in their lifetime? To the human eye on Earth, Halley’s Comet will next be visible in the night sky in late July 2061 when it is likely to come much closer and may appear much brighter, than what it looked like in 1986, the last time it was here. The comet was named after English astronomer Edmond Halley, who was the first to calculate its orbit and make predictions about its return in the 18th century. In human history, Halley’s Comet has made numerous appearances. Watch: Gaganyaan: India's first mission to send astronauts to space Halley’s Comet's Christmas connection Halley's Comet also has a Christmas connection and served as inspiration for the Bible story of “Star of Bethlehem". The story goes that Magi, the three wise men, followed a star from the East to Bethlehem while searching for the newborn king. Some believe that what they followed was Halley's Comet. However, there is no clarity on whether or not the bright star they followed indeed was Halley's Comet. “Comets, which are not stars but star-like in appearance, offer a unique explanation as they move across the sky and could have guided the wise men,” said Dr. Minjae Kim, Research Fellow, Department of Physics, University of Warwick, speaking to Forbes. “Halley’s Comet was visible in 12 BC, and Chinese and Korean stargazers recorded an object, possibly a comet or nova, around 5 BC, aligning with the estimated time of Jesus’ birth—between 6 BC and 4 BC," he added. (With inputs from agencies)

Halley’s Comet is gearing up for a return journey towards us. The wait is quite long though

In 1990, he, perhaps, took one of the best decisions of his life. An investment in that era has reaped immense benefits for him.

No, it is not about buying stocks, but something closer to that.

Tom Stuker, from New Jersey, bought a lifetime pass to United Airlines three decades ago after shelling out $290,000.

In 33 years since then, he has flown more than 23 million miles (37 million km) and visited more than 100 countries, which, according to The Washington Post, is more miles than any individual in history.

To make sense of that feat, NASA’s Apollo 11, which carried Neil Armstrong and his fellow astronauts to the moon, travelled only 953,000 miles (1.5mn km).

And it seems that his record will forever remain unbroken as United no longer extends such passes to its fliers, as per the newspaper.

<h2>In 2019, he covered 1.46mn miles</h2>

In 2019 alone, Stuker’s distance travelled was equivalent to “more than six trips to the moon”, the Post reported.

In that year, the 69-year-old car dealership consultant took 373 flights, covering 1.46mn miles. Had he paid cash for the flights, it would have cost $2.44 million.

At one point, he spent 12 consecutive days without touching a bed, as he hopped from Newark to San Francisco and then to Bangkok and Dubai, only spending time outside of the friendly skies while he visited airport lounges.

But one of the greatest benefits to have accrued over the years is his flier miles. In 2009, Stuker passed the 5m mile (8m km) mark, according to Simple Flying, and then in 2019, he breached the 10m mile mark.

<h2>Gravitas: France bans short-haul flights | Fight against climate change</h2>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-france-bans-short-haul-flights-fight-against-climate-change-596152/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<h2>Setting milestones</h2>

Notably, he was the first United Airlines customer to achieve this milestone and the points he got have been a boon to him.

“Stuker has lived like a sultan on United miles ever since – lavish hotel suites all over the world, weeks-long Crystal cruises, gourmet meals from Perth to Paris,” the Post report said.

He used the miles to “redo his brother’s house”, and “once cashed $50,000 worth of Walmart gift cards in a single day”, the report added.

Stuker also won a charity auction to appear in a Seinfeld episode by bidding 451,000 air miles.

"Best investment of my life," Stuker told the Post.

He said that he was aware that frequent-flier miles weren't just a way to get more flights; he also ended up selling and trading miles with others.

“I’m not adding to the footprint,” Stuker told GQ in an interview in 2020.

“The plane is going to fly whether I’m on it or not. It would be much more relevant if I was flying in a private jet. Those are the people who can help the environment much more than I can if they flew commercial.”

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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In 1990, he, perhaps, took one of the best decisions of his life. An investment in that era has reaped immense benefits for him. No, it is not about buying stocks, but something closer to that.

In 1990, he, perhaps, took one of the best decisions of his life. An investment in that era has reaped immense benefits for him. No, it is not about buying stocks, but something closer to that. Tom Stuker, from New Jersey, bought a lifetime pass to United Airlines three decades ago after shelling out $290,000. In 33 years since then, he has flown more than 23 million miles (37 million km) and visited more than 100 countries, which, according to The Washington Post, is more miles than any individual in history. To make sense of that feat, NASA’s Apollo 11, which carried Neil Armstrong and his fellow astronauts to the moon, travelled only 953,000 miles (1.5mn km). And it seems that his record will forever remain unbroken as United no longer extends such passes to its fliers, as per the newspaper. In 2019, he covered 1.46mn miles In 2019 alone, Stuker’s distance travelled was equivalent to “more than six trips to the moon”, the Post reported. In that year, the 69-year-old car dealership consultant took 373 flights, covering 1.46mn miles. Had he paid cash for the flights, it would have cost $2.44 million. At one point, he spent 12 consecutive days without touching a bed, as he hopped from Newark to San Francisco and then to Bangkok and Dubai, only spending time outside of the friendly skies while he visited airport lounges. But one of the greatest benefits to have accrued over the years is his flier miles. In 2009, Stuker passed the 5m mile (8m km) mark, according to Simple Flying, and then in 2019, he breached the 10m mile mark. Gravitas: France bans short-haul flights | Fight against climate change Setting milestones Notably, he was the first United Airlines customer to achieve this milestone and the points he got have been a boon to him. “Stuker has lived like a sultan on United miles ever since – lavish hotel suites all over the world, weeks-long Crystal cruises, gourmet meals from Perth to Paris,” the Post report said. He used the miles to “redo his brother’s house”, and “once cashed $50,000 worth of Walmart gift cards in a single day”, the report added. Stuker also won a charity auction to appear in a Seinfeld episode by bidding 451,000 air miles. "Best investment of my life," Stuker told the Post. He said that he was aware that frequent-flier miles weren't just a way to get more flights; he also ended up selling and trading miles with others. “I’m not adding to the footprint,” Stuker told GQ in an interview in 2020. “The plane is going to fly whether I’m on it or not. It would be much more relevant if I was flying in a private jet. Those are the people who can help the environment much more than I can if they flew commercial.” (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

This man has undertaken 23 million miles of air travel on a lifetime pass worth $290K

Boys are slightly more likely to be sexually abused than girls in South&nbsp;Africa, where a third of all children have experienced some form of sexual abuse in their lifetime, according to the first-ever national study of child maltreatment.

Nearly 37 percent of boys and 34 percent of girls have been sexually abused by the age of 17, either physically or in non-physical ways - such as being forced to watch sexual acts, look at genitalia or explicit material.

Girls were more likely to have been sexually abused physically and boys more likely to have experienced non-contact sexual abuse, researchers said in the study published on Tuesday.

&quot;Even though the forms the abuse takes may differ it can nonetheless be equally harmful to the victim and should be treated just as seriously,&quot; Ian Welle-Skitt, spokesman for UBS Optimus Foundation which commissioned the research.

&quot;This study puts South&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;in line with the rest of the world, and challenges the myth that South&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;is a more violent society than others,&quot; Welle-Skitt&nbsp;told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

A similar study carried out in Switzerland by UBS Optimus Foundation found that abuse between peers and cyber-abuse was higher there than in South&nbsp;Africa.

There were more than 350,000 cases of sexual abuse among children in South&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;last year, according to researchers from the University of Cape Town, and the Cape Town-based Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, who carried out the study.

Only 31 percent of girls and no boys reported sexual abuse to the police. Young males were especially reluctant to report any form of abuse, the researchers found.

&quot;The sexual abuse and maltreatment of children is preventable, but until now, a lack of data has hindered the development of systems needed to protect and support children,&quot; researchers&nbsp;said.

The study found that when parents knew who their children spent time with and where, they were less likely to become victims of sexual abuse.&nbsp;A&nbsp;supportive relationship between parents and their daughters also significantly lowered the risk for girls.

The researchers&nbsp;recommended that teachers be trained in school safety and that children have classes on sex, gender and violence.&nbsp;They also found substance abuse played an important role.

&quot;Since parental substance misuse is associated with sexual abuse of children, one key preventive strategy is to make substance abuse treatment programmes far more widely available and accessible than they are at present,&quot; the researchers said.

A third of all children in the country have experienced some form of sexual abuse in their lifetime

Boys are slightly more likely to be sexually abused than girls in South Africa, where a third of all children have experienced some form of sexual abuse in their lifetime, according to the first-ever national study of child maltreatment. Nearly 37 percent of boys and 34 percent of girls have been sexually abused by the age of 17, either physically or in non-physical ways - such as being forced to watch sexual acts, look at genitalia or explicit material. Girls were more likely to have been sexually abused physically and boys more likely to have experienced non-contact sexual abuse, researchers said in the study published on Tuesday. "Even though the forms the abuse takes may differ it can nonetheless be equally harmful to the victim and should be treated just as seriously," Ian Welle-Skitt, spokesman for UBS Optimus Foundation which commissioned the research. "This study puts South Africa in line with the rest of the world, and challenges the myth that South Africa is a more violent society than others," Welle-Skitt told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. A similar study carried out in Switzerland by UBS Optimus Foundation found that abuse between peers and cyber-abuse was higher there than in South Africa. There were more than 350,000 cases of sexual abuse among children in South Africa last year, according to researchers from the University of Cape Town, and the Cape Town-based Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, who carried out the study. Only 31 percent of girls and no boys reported sexual abuse to the police. Young males were especially reluctant to report any form of abuse, the researchers found. "The sexual abuse and maltreatment of children is preventable, but until now, a lack of data has hindered the development of systems needed to protect and support children," researchers said. The study found that when parents knew who their children spent time with and where, they were less likely to become victims of sexual abuse. A supportive relationship between parents and their daughters also significantly lowered the risk for girls. The researchers recommended that teachers be trained in school safety and that children have classes on sex, gender and violence. They also found substance abuse played an important role. "Since parental substance misuse is associated with sexual abuse of children, one key preventive strategy is to make substance abuse treatment programmes far more widely available and accessible than they are at present," the researchers said.

In South Africa, boys more likely to be sexually abused than girls: researchers

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