Still, carrying a binocular or a telescope is advised.įor those who cannot witness the cosmic spectacle in person, a live viewing has been arranged on the night of December 11. However, given this particular comet's brightness, experts believe that Leonard will be visible to the naked eye. This is a tricky question because as comets go, the class Leonard belongs to is known to be unpredictable when it comes to visibility. And while comet Leonard will be closest to Earth on December 12, astronomers believe that December 17 will be the best day to see it. It's worth noting that since it passes through multiple constellations in a matter of days, if you set out an hour or two to observe the comet, you will likely notice it moving against the background stars in a single viewing session.Īfter sunset on December 14, the comet will be visible in the evening sky. During its closest approach to Earth, the comet will pass between Arcturus, the brightest star in the Bootes constellation, and the handle of the Big Dipper asterism. In the first weeks of December, Leonard can be seen in the east-northeast quadrant of the sky. It will be at its highest point in the sky just before dawn. The best time to catch Leonard would be early in the morning, towards the East, a couple of hours before sunrise. When and where can you catch Comet Leonard? The discovery came in January 2021, exactly a year before its predicted closest approach to the Sun on January 3, 2022. The comet, which was located around the heart of NGC 4631 (better known as the Whale Galaxy at the time) was spotted by Gregory Leonard in the images taken from the Mt. It is likely to pass through another star system light-years away, just like the interstellar objects 1I/'Omuamua and 2I/Borisov recently passed through our solar system. That, however, is going to change.Īccording to current calculations, the comet will be ejected from the solar system after passing the Sun, bound for interstellar space and never to return. It has an orbital period of 80,000 years. At its farthest point from the Sun, the aphelion distance stretches to a whopping 3,700 AU (1 AU is the average distance between the Earth and the Sun). Leonard is a long-period comet from the extreme reaches of the solar system. And although it is expected to be closest to our planet on December 12, the comet will be visible throughout most of the month. Named after Gregory J Leonard, the astronomer who discovered it back in January 2021, the Leonard or C/2021 A1 comet will approach the Earth after nearly 35,000 years. On December 12, the Comet Leonard-dubbed as the "once in a lifetime" comet-will pass closest to Earth, blanketed in a greenish glow.
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