Hale-Bopp is a comet that was due to pass Earth in the 1990s, and it popularized the beginning of Heaven’s gate because it focused on an Alien craft follow behind Hale-Bopp. It was believed that they were exiting their Earthly vehicles to board onto the UFO behind the Hale-Bopp Comet and enter the Next Level of life A forged photo of a spot trailing the comet was believed to be the co-leader’s soul, having died of cancer earlier, waiting to beam them to the spacecraft.
On March 26, 1997, 39 members, including their leader Applewhite, committed suicide to get to the Next Level as this was the closest the Hale-Bopp Comet was to Earth. They had eaten apple sauce along with phenobarbital and drank vodka with it. They then fixed plastic bags around their heads in order to suffocate themselves. The suicides were carried over 3 consecutive days, with the remaining members cleaning after the others. The bodies were found in their bunk beds with square purple cloths draped over their bodies.
