On Sunday, the comet will be 21 million miles away from our planet, according to Earth Sky, as it travels at 158,084 miles per hour towards the sun. It has reached this point by speeding towards the sun for 35,000 years, Sky and Telescope reported. After it passes the sun, it is expected to leave the solar system, meaning viewing it will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The ultrafast comet gets its name from the man who discovered it in January: Gregory J. Leonard, an astronomer and research specialist at the University of Arizona. It is also known as C/2021 A1.
When it was found, the giant iceball was just a “faint smudge” to observers when it was near Mars, according to NASA. By the time it nears the sun in early January 2022, it will have made its way through the inner Solar System, and past our planet as well as Venus.
Below is everything you need to know about seeing the comet.
How To View Comet Leonard
According to Earth Sky, it is not possible for the average skygazer to see the comet with the naked eye, but standard 10×50 binoculars should do the trick. Comets generally become brighter as they get closer to the sun, and Leonard has been doing just that, according to Earth Sky. It will be the closest to the sun, or at its perihelion, on January 3, 2022.
December 12, when it is closest to Earth, and December 18, when it is closest to Venus, are among the ideal dates to try to find Comet Leonard, The Saint Louis Science Center says on its website.
Where Can I See Comet Leonard?
In the first half of December, the comet will be visible in the northern hemisphere before dawn, appearing low in eastern skies, according to the Planetary Society. From December 14 onwards, it will be visible in the evening from both the northern and southern hemispheres.
The Saint Louis Science Center advises using planetary software Stellarium and its visible comet database to help find Comet Leonard, and searching for its name: C/2021 A1.
“Once it takes you to where the comet is found, zoom in until you get enough background stars to help identify the comet,” the center says.
In addition, The Sky Live hosts a Comet Leonard tracker on its website (which can be found here), as well as finder charts (which can be found here).
Another way to see the comet is to tune into the online observation session hosted by the Virtual Telescope project on Sunday, 12:15 a.m. ET, available here.
Astrophotographers have already shared stunning photos of Comet Leonard as it passes in our skies, including some of it appearing to sidle up to a vast cluster of stars called Messier 3.
