Soon, comet Leonard will make a unique salute to Earth.
The star, dubbed by some means the “Christmas comet”, was discovered in January of this year, when it was between Mars and Jupiter, and NASA scientists have already traced the orbit it is following towards the Sun.
The good news is that Leonard can be seen with the naked eye in Latin American countries. Of course, the weather conditions need to be just right for us to be able to see Leonard before sunrise.
It will be in mid-December, between the 12th and 14th, when it will be better seen, as it will be at its closest point to Earth.
Scientists, however, cannot determine an exact date when it will peak because the dust and gas it emanates is unpredictable.
“Although comets are notoriously difficult to predict, comet Leonard will become visible to the naked eye in December, according to some estimates,” says NASA.
When and where will it be seen?
Named C/2021 A1, the comet discovered by Gregory J. Leonard (hence its name) was first seen “as a faint spot” in early 2021, when it passed through Mars’ orbit.
Subsequent observations and analysis showed scientists that it was a comet with a long period of orbit, about 80,000 years—so its appearance near Earth is an exceptional spectacle.
On December 12, Leonard will be at his closest point on Earth’s trajectory, nearly 35 million kilometers away.
Around that time, before dawn, Leonard will be seen with the naked eye almost anywhere in the world.
In the case of America, the northern hemisphere will have a better perspective of its closest passage to the planet. In North and Central American countries, as well as the Caribbean, it can be seen to the east of the horizon.
In the second half of December, it will reverse its position from north to south, NASA explains, so people in Brazil and other South American countries will be able to see it near the western horizon.
Where there is a clear sky, it will be possible to see the comet’s tail with the naked eye. But binoculars can make it easier to find and track you.
NASA captured an image of Leonard just over a week ago, when he was already exhibiting a cloud of dust and green gas and the characteristic dust “tail” that these space objects have.
“The image presented was composed of 62 photos taken by a moderately sized telescope: one set of exposures tracks the comet, while another group tracks the background stars,” explains NASA.
After reaching his perihelion, the closest point to the Sun in its orbit, Leonard will return to the depths of space on a journey of thousands of years.
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