#Comet C/2010 X1 (Elenin), a.k.a. Comet #Elenin to the media and everyone who doesn't know how to read the IAU's designations, was a comet discovered in the end of 2010 that reached its first known perihelion (closest point to the Sun in its orbit) in September 2011, disintegrating shortly afterwards. It's notable mostly for being the first comet discovered by a Russian in the last 20 years. Oh, and the fact that an assortment of #cranks, conspiracy theorists and/or End Times/Rapture believers latched onto it for a variety of reasons. Due to the latter, it can be used as a case study in how #doomsday conspiracy theories originate, develop and spread.

#RationalWiki #conspiracytheories #endtimes #rapture
https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Comet_Elenin