Comet Leonard (C/2021 A1) is approaching Earth and may soon be visible to the naked eye

Comet Leonard (C/2021 A1) is approaching Earth at a very high speed and may soon be seen with the naked eye. What you need to know about Overview.

Update from Friday, December 3, 2021, at 9am: In astronomy, “comets are like cats: they have a tail and do what they want” applies. This refers to the fact that it is difficult to predict the brightness of a comet. So far, however, Comet Leonard (C/2021 A1) has lived up to some degree of predictions and can already be seen in binoculars or a small telescope. Approaching Earth on 12 December, it may reach magnitude 4 and then possibly be seen with the naked eye in a dark sky. However, Comet Leonard is unlikely to be as bright and impressive as Summer Comet NeoWise in 2020.

If you want to see Comet Leonard in the sky, you have to get up early. Currently, the comet rises in the east at about 2 o’clock and rises into the sky there. If you want to see it, you should wait until Leonard emerges out of the haze near the horizon – it’s especially recommended to look for it before the sun rises, as the comet will then be as high in the sky as possible. It is higher and can be easily visible. Comet Leonard (C/2021 A1) is currently located near the conspicuous star Arctur in the constellation Bear Guardian.

Fast-moving Comet Leonard: At 254,412 kilometers per hour it’s currently running toward Earth—but there’s no danger: When it comes closest to Earth, on December 12, 2021, Comet Leonard and The distance between the blue planets is 34.4 million kilometers.

Comet Leonard (C/2021 A1) approaches the Sun and Earth

Update from Tuesday, November 30, 2021, at 4.15 pm: Comet Leonard (C/2021 A1) is currently getting even closer to the Sun; It reached its perihelion on January 3, 2022, at its closest distance to the Sun. Before that, it should be more noticeable in the sky. It currently has a magnitude of 7, so it can be seen with binoculars or a small telescope when the sky is clear. The comet is currently in the constellation “Haar der Berenice” and is heading towards the constellations “Hunting Dogs”, “Bear Keepers”, “Snakes” and “Snake Bearers”. On 12 December, it reached its closest point on Earth – about 34.4 million kilometers away.

How the comet evolves in the near future will determine whether it is visible to the naked eye in the sky. Recently it has developed well, its brightness has increased by several magnitudes. In the pictures you can see that it has a green core and a delicate tail. Experts believe that Comet Leonard could reach magnitude 4 – then it would be visible with the naked eye in the sky.

Comet Leonard (C/2021 A1) is already bright enough

Update from Friday, November 26, 2021 at 8.40 pm: Comet Leonard (C/2021 A1) continues its orbits in the night sky and has become significantly brighter than in early November. It is now estimated by observers to have a magnitude of between 7 and 8 – that is, it can be seen in the sky with binoculars or a small telescope. Comet Leonard is currently in the constellation “Haar der Berenice” and in the region of the galaxy NGC4656 and is moving in the direction of the constellation “Bear Guardian”. On December 6, Comet Leonard is near the conspicuous star Arctur, so it is easy to find.

If you want to observe Comet Leonard, you’ll need to be prepared to stay awake for a long time or wake up early: The comet only rises in the northwest around midnight and rises in the sky during the night. Even though Comet Leonard is called the “Christmas Comet” by some, the name is misleading: the comet will reach its closest point to the Sun on December 12 (the so-called perihelion) and will then be very low in the sky as seen from the Northern Hemisphere. . The best observation period is actually before December 12, 2021.

Comet Leonard: Not a “Christmas Comet”, But Possibly a Heavenly Spectacle

First report Sunday, November 7, 2021, from 8:22 pm: Frankfurt – a comet that can be seen in the sky with the naked eye is not frequent. In recent years there has only been one comet that falls halfway into this category: Comet NeoWise (C/2020 F3) was visible to the naked eye in the summer of 2020 and for some time under very dark skies. But there may soon be a successor: Comet Leonard (C/2021 A1) It is currently being watched closely by astronomers – it has the potential to become bright enough. But you shouldn’t be overjoyed too soon – because assessing the behavior of comets is very difficult.

Comet Leonard was the first comet to be discovered in 2021: it was first discovered on January 3, 2021, by astronomer Greg J. Leonard observed at Mount Lemmon Observatory in Tucson, Arizona. At that time the comet was at a distance of 750 million kilometers from the Sun. On January 3, 2022, its trajectory will be closest to the Sun, known as perihelion.

Leonard is then about 92.2 million kilometers from the Sun. It already has its closest approach to Earth: the US space agency NASA estimates that Comet Leonard will come closest to Earth on December 12, 2021 at around 2:54 p.m. German time — at a safe distance of about 35 million kilometers.

Comet Leonard (C/2021 A1) may be visible to the naked eye in November/December 2021

Only time will know how bright Comet Leonard will be in November and December 2021. According to estimates from the “Earthsky” portal, a brightness between magnitude 5 and 2.6 is thought to be. The lower this value, the brighter the object will appear.

But the behavior of comets is generally thought to be unpredictable, making it very difficult to predict how Comet Leonard’s brightness will evolve. Comet Atlas, for example, was thought to be a bearer of hope in 2020—and broke up before putting on a show in the sky. Something similar happened with Comet Ison in 2013, which disintegrated when it came closest to the Sun.

How to Spot Comet Leonard in the Night Sky

Should Comet Leonard become visible to the naked eye, it will be seen first in the Northern Hemisphere and later in the Southern Hemisphere. The comet is traveling at 254,412 kilometers per hour – but you won’t see it “racing” across the sky, because Leonard is so far away from Earth.

One thing is certain: if you want to see a comet in the sky, you have to look for it early in the morning. Around mid-November, Comet Leonard orbits in the constellation “Haar der Berenice”, rising in the east at about 1.30 p.m. On December 2, the comet can be seen very close to the globular cluster M3, and then moves to Arctur, the bright star in the constellation “Bear Guardian”.

Comet Leonard could be seen with binoculars in mid-November

The specialist magazine “Sky & Telescope” estimates that the comet may reach a magnitude of 10 in mid-November – a brightness that cannot yet be seen with the naked eye, but can already be seen with smaller telescopes. . Around the time that Comet Leonard is near the star Arcturus, it can reach a magnitude of 5.5 and thus become an object that can be seen with the naked eye.

In the Northern Hemisphere, you can see the comet’s last glimpse in the morning sky on December 12, 2021—shortly before theoretically its greatest brightness. It will be visible deep in the southwest sky in the evening. Southern Hemisphere observers now also have the opportunity to get a closer look at the comet.

Comets are “dirty snowballs” from the depths of space

Comets come from the depths of space and consist of dust and rock held together by ice. When a comet gets closer to the Sun, the ice melts and the dust and stones are released – forming the tail of the comet. This is what makes it so difficult to predict the brightness of Comet Leonard (C/2021A1): no one can predict how the comet will behave in the increasing heat – it will become more active, but how active? At the moment no one can predict it with certainty.

Comets – nicknamed: “cosmic snowballs” – are of particular interest to research because they are considered messengers from the depths of the universe. According to NASA calculations, Comet Leonard comes from the outer Solar System and has been moving toward the center of the Solar System more than 550 billion kilometers over 40,000 years. According to NASA, when it has reached its periphery, it will likely be ejected from the solar system. So winter 2021/2022 is the last chance to see Comet Leonard.

Recently, two researchers accidentally discovered the largest comet ever known. It is heading towards the center of the solar system, reaching its closest point to the Sun in 2031. (Tanja Banner)

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