Comets are a sight that is not seen that often, so every time it happens people lose their minds. During this end of the year Comet Leonard, made entirely of ice, it will illuminate the celestial vault after 80 thousand years, So if you are a lover of astronomy you will not want to miss your step close to Earth, since it will take the same time to see each other again from our planet.
Leonard was first detected on January 3, 2021, by astronomer Gregory J. Leonard, who used the telescope at the Mount Lemmon Observatory, at the University of Arizona, United States. Leonard was discovered as a faint spot in January 2021, when he was beyond Mars. But its orbit will take it to pass close to Earth and Venus in December, before it approaches the Sun in early January 2022, “NASA explained last week.
Since when and where could it be seen?
In some parts of the world it is already seen in the sky, without the need to use instruments such as telescopes. But “it is difficult to predict when and how bright a comet will appear, because we do not know how much dust and gas it will emit. This can vary from day to day, and it is what controls the amount of sunlight that is scattered and reflected back towards us, “NASA said.
The US agency assured that all over the world it can be observed with the naked eye, but if not, with a telescope it will be very easy to see it.or. In Mexico it is recommended to go out to see the sky between 05:00 and 05:30 hours. The best recommendation is to be in a place with dark skies, away from light pollution from big cities, and with a clear horizon.
The easiest way to locate it is to look towards the Big Dipper; If you don’t know what it is, you can always download an application to find out what the constellations are. Its brightness will gradually increase and the maximum glow will occur between December 13 and 14, according to NASA, so those will be the best dates to look for it in the celestial vault.
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