Editor’s Note: The Comet Leonard made its final appearance in January 2022. It has now moved out of our solar system and into interstellar space.
Have you taken the time yet to notice all the Christmas lights? They’re everywhere this time of year, in every city, neighborhood, and street. The whole state is aglow with holiday spirit. And to top it all off, did you know that Iowa’s sky is extra bright right now as well? No, there aren’t any Christmas lights strung between the stars, but what you can hope to see overhead right now is the brightest comet of 2021: Comet Leonard.
Comet Leonard, which is intersecting with earth’s orbit in December, is supposed to be the brightest comet of 2021. That in itself makes this newly discovered comet worth watching for in the winter night sky.
University of Hertfordshire Observatory / Wikipedia But what makes it all even more amazing is that this comet has never, ever been seen by humanity before this year, and it will never, ever be seen again. After it passes by our earth on its way back around the sun, it will be flung out to the outer reaches of space and lost forever from human sight.
The Leonard Comet, also known as the C/2021 A1, was discovered by astronomist G.J. Leonard earlier this year. It first became visible to the naked eye on December 5. With an apparent brightness magnitude of 6, this comet is perhaps the only one we’ll be able to observe without amplification this year.
NASA/JPL-Caltech It will make its closest pass by earth on December 12. In the days leading up to December 12, try to look east along the horizon in the hours just before dawn, near the star Arcturus.
If you’re attempting to see Leonard after approximately December 14, watch the evening sky just after sunset instead. The comet should be hovering between Venus and the horizon for another week or so leading up to Christmas before passing out of sight of the Northern Hemisphere.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Here’s one caveat. Did you know that a comet’s visibility is extremely unpredictable? That means that even though astronomists suspect Leonard will remain visible to the naked eye for the next week or more, they can’t guarantee it. With that in mind, take a pair of binoculars with you on your stargazing venture!
TorriPhoto / Moment Collection via Getty Images Another note: even with its expected brightness level, Comet Leonard will likely not be as bright as Comet Neowise if you were able to observe that comet last year and find it helpful to use that experience as a point of comparison.
This model shows Comet Leonard’s projected path: the center yellow dot is the sun. The darker blue circle is earth’s orbit, and that first intersection will occur in mid-December of 2021.
Phoenix7777 / Wikipedia As modeled, after it orbits the sun, it will be ejected from the solar system into the far reaches of outer space.
Will you be keeping your eye on the sky this month in an attempt to see Comet Leonard? If the cloud cover cooperates, that is!
Will Hoyer / 500px / 500 px Prime Collection via Getty Images
The darker the sky, the better chance you’ll have of spotting this comet. More information about Comet Leonard can be found on NASA’s website, as well as info on several other celestial events expected in December of 2021 (Geminid Meteor Shower, anyone?).
University of Hertfordshire Observatory / Wikipedia
But what makes it all even more amazing is that this comet has never, ever been seen by humanity before this year, and it will never, ever be seen again. After it passes by our earth on its way back around the sun, it will be flung out to the outer reaches of space and lost forever from human sight.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
It will make its closest pass by earth on December 12. In the days leading up to December 12, try to look east along the horizon in the hours just before dawn, near the star Arcturus.
TorriPhoto / Moment Collection via Getty Images
Another note: even with its expected brightness level, Comet Leonard will likely not be as bright as Comet Neowise if you were able to observe that comet last year and find it helpful to use that experience as a point of comparison.
Phoenix7777 / Wikipedia
As modeled, after it orbits the sun, it will be ejected from the solar system into the far reaches of outer space.
Will Hoyer / 500px / 500 px Prime Collection via Getty Images
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