https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=JessLovelyexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2026-04-17T09:13:18ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2345:_Wish_on_a_Shooting_Star&diff=1959692345: Wish on a Shooting Star2020-08-13T00:18:52Z<p>JessLovely: elaboration on prev. edit</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2345<br />
| date = August 12, 2020<br />
| title = Wish on a Shooting Star<br />
| image = wish_on_a_shooting_star.png<br />
| titletext = Congratulations to whoever wished for revenge on a forest near the Tunguska River, a 1980 Chevy Malibu in Peekskill NY, Alabama resident Ann Hodges, every building in Chelyabinsk with glass windows, and the non-avian dinosaurs.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a NON-AVIAN DINOSAUR. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
It is a common practice to make a wish when one sees a shooting star, in hopes that the wish comes true. This comic consists of a [[wikipedia:Venn diagram|Venn diagram]] showing what things are commonly wished for upon seeing a shooting star, and what things the shooting star may cause. Shooting stars, as they are actually meteors, can only cause changes to physical phenomena, such as radio noise or the appearance of the sky as they burn up in the upper atmosphere. The only thing that is shared between the potential wish side of the diagram and the shooting star caused side is revenge. This would occur when a shooting star actually hits the planet, becoming a meteorite. This is frequently highly destructive, given the high speed of falling meteors. As such, it would be possible for the meteorite to hit something that someone for some reason or another wished revenge upon. However, given the massive surface area of the planet, the likelihood that someone's revenge would be "granted" by a meteorite would be very low. The title text makes fun of this by detailing several incidents where a meteorite landed and caused damage ranging from a car to the [[wikipedia:Chicxulub impactor|Chicxulub impactor]] (the slayer of non-avian dinosaurs).<br />
<br />
On October 9, 1992, a meteorite [https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/meteorite-crashes-into-chevy-malibu damaged a 1980 Malibu].<br />
<br />
On November 30, 1954, a fragment of a meteorite passed through the roof of a house and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylacauga_(meteorite) struck] Ann Hodges. She survived.<br />
<br />
On February 15th, 2013, a meteor [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelyabinsk_meteor exploded in an airburst] over Chelyabinsk, Russia, creating a shockwave that shattered windows in the area.<br />
<br />
Meteorites were also mentioned in [[2328: Space Basketball]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
A Venn Diagram is shown.<br><br />
Things people wish for:<br />
*Love<br />
*Money<br />
*Fame<br />
*Health<br />
*Luck<br />
*Power<br />
*Success<br />
Things shooting stars can cause:<br />
*Radio Noise<br />
*Dust and ionized gas in the upper atmosphere<br />
*Infrasound<br />
*Cool lights in the sky<br />
Both:<br />
*Revenge<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>JessLovelyhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2345:_Wish_on_a_Shooting_Star&diff=1959682345: Wish on a Shooting Star2020-08-13T00:16:56Z<p>JessLovely: added link explaining the Chelyabinsk portion of the title text</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2345<br />
| date = August 12, 2020<br />
| title = Wish on a Shooting Star<br />
| image = wish_on_a_shooting_star.png<br />
| titletext = Congratulations to whoever wished for revenge on a forest near the Tunguska River, a 1980 Chevy Malibu in Peekskill NY, Alabama resident Ann Hodges, every building in Chelyabinsk with glass windows, and the non-avian dinosaurs.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a NON-AVIAN DINOSAUR. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
It is a common practice to make a wish when one sees a shooting star, in hopes that the wish comes true. This comic consists of a [[wikipedia:Venn diagram|Venn diagram]] showing what things are commonly wished for upon seeing a shooting star, and what things the shooting star may cause. Shooting stars, as they are actually meteors, can only cause changes to physical phenomena, such as radio noise or the appearance of the sky as they burn up in the upper atmosphere. The only thing that is shared between the potential wish side of the diagram and the shooting star caused side is revenge. This would occur when a shooting star actually hits the planet, becoming a meteorite. This is frequently highly destructive, given the high speed of falling meteors. As such, it would be possible for the meteorite to hit something that someone for some reason or another wished revenge upon. However, given the massive surface area of the planet, the likelihood that someone's revenge would be "granted" by a meteorite would be very low. The title text makes fun of this by detailing several incidents where a meteorite landed and caused damage ranging from a car to the [[wikipedia:Chicxulub impactor|Chicxulub impactor]] (the slayer of non-avian dinosaurs).<br />
<br />
On October 9, 1992, a meteorite [https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/meteorite-crashes-into-chevy-malibu damaged a 1980 Malibu].<br />
<br />
On November 30, 1954, a fragment of a meteorite passed through the roof of a house and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylacauga_(meteorite) struck] Ann Hodges. She survived.<br />
<br />
On February 15th, 2013, a meteor [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelyabinsk_meteor exploded in an airburst] over Chelyabinsk, Russia.<br />
<br />
Meteorites were also mentioned in [[2328: Space Basketball]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
A Venn Diagram is shown.<br><br />
Things people wish for:<br />
*Love<br />
*Money<br />
*Fame<br />
*Health<br />
*Luck<br />
*Power<br />
*Success<br />
Things shooting stars can cause:<br />
*Radio Noise<br />
*Dust and ionized gas in the upper atmosphere<br />
*Infrasound<br />
*Cool lights in the sky<br />
Both:<br />
*Revenge<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>JessLovely