Must-see: Comet Neowise brightens the sky in New York couple’s viral engagement photos
ByMichelle Ewing, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
ByMichelle Ewing, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
HERKIMER COUNTY, N.Y. — A New York couple's stunning engagement photos featuring Comet Neowise are going viral.
According to CNN, photographer Tim Leach captured the moment that his friend, John Nicotera, proposed to now-fiancee Erica Pendrak last weekend in Old Forge.
Nicotera told Insider that he initially had planned to pop the question during a trip to Oregon's Crater Lake; however, he had to scrap that idea because of the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, he decided to take Pendrak out to see Comet Neowise, which won't be visible again for 6,800 years, and enlisted Leach to help.
As the trio watched the comet shine overhead, Nicotera knew the time was right and told Leach that the moment had come, CNN reported. Nicotera then dropped to one knee, showing Pendrak the ring. The couple stood still for seven seconds as Leach snapped the photo, which required a long exposure, then celebrated, according to the news outlet.
"Last-minute plan for a memory that will last a lifetime," Leach, who snapped a second staged photo as well as other pictures of the couple, wrote on Instagram.
Comet Neowise brightens the night sky The Comet Neowise or C/2020 F3, with its two tails visible, is seen in the sky above Goldfield, Nevada on July 18, 2020. (DAVID BECKER/AFP via Getty Images)
Comet Neowise brightens the night sky The comet Neowise or C/2020 F3 is seen behind an Orthodox church over the Turets, Belarus, 110 kilometers (69 miles) west of capital Minsk, early Tuesday, July 14, 2020. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
Comet Neowise brightens the night sky Comet Neowise passes St. Mary's Lighthouse in Whitley Bay in the early hours of Tuesday morning. (Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images)
Comet Neowise brightens the night sky Comet Neowise passes over Tynemouth Priory in North Shields on the Northeast coast of England. (Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images)
Comet Neowise brightens the night sky The Comet Neowise or C/2020 F3 is seen in the sky above the International Car Forest of the Last Church in Goldfield, Nevada on July 18, 2020. (DAVID BECKER/AFP via Getty Images)
Comet Neowise brightens the night sky The comet Neowise streaked across the night sky over Wolf Lake in Brimson, Minn., on Tuesday night. (Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via Getty Images)
Comet Neowise brightens the night sky Comet Neowise, the C/2020 F3 Neowise comet, is observed over the sky in Kirklareli, Turkey, on July 15, 2020. (Erhan Baycan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Comet Neowise brightens the night sky The comet Neowise, or C/2020 F3, is seen in the evening sky above the artwork titled: "Seven Magic Mountains" by artist Ugo Rondinone, Thursday, July 16, 2020, near Jean, Nev., south of Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Comet Neowise brightens the night sky Comet Neowise, the C/2020 F3 Neowise comet, is observed over the sky in Kirklareli, Turkey, on July 15, 2020. (Erhan Baycan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Comet Neowise brightens the night sky The Comet Neowise appears in the night sky above Mount Rainier, Saturday, July 18, 2020, near Packwood, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Comet Neowise brightens the night sky In this photo provided by NASA, the International Space Station, with a crew of five onboard, is seen in this 10-second exposure above comet Neowise, Saturday, July 18, 2020, from Keys Gap, W.Va. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP)
