Hale-Bopp: 'The Graduation'
In March 1997, the approach of the comet Hale-Bopp, regarded as the most spectacular comet of the 20th century, approached Earth, was interpreted by Heaven’s Gate as the final sign, to prepare, and take action towards their final goal.
As Reece explains, they regarded Hale-Bopp as a marker, showing the time of the arrival of the spacecraft from the Next Level to take members to ‘Their World’, the spaceship hiding behind the tale of the comet to avoid being spotted by radars and telescopes. They regarded this happening as their ‘graduation’ from the 22 years spent in ‘the Classroom’ preparing to leave this earth (153).
Balch and Taylor details that Heaven’s Gate members speculated that the arrival of Hale-Bopp couldn’t have been a coincidence, since the comet approached Earth one week before Easter, took this as a sign and began preparations for their ‘exit’, by making exit statement videos, in which they joyfully regarded the occasion as the opportunity they waited for (223).
A picture of the cult website, still running.