Credit: Comet A1 Leonard near the galaxy NGC 4395 in mid-November. Credit and copyright: Michael Jäger
Keep in mind, A1 Leonard may be an experienced long-lasting visitor to the inner solar system with a prospective to over-perform as it nears the Sun. Existing predictions have the comet reaching +4 th magnitude, and it may flirt with naked eye brightness. The comet passes simply 0.233 AU (21.7 million miles or 34.9 million kilometers) from the Earth on December 12th, another plus.
The orbit of Comet A1 Leonard, set for its closest passage near Earth.
Typically, dynamically new comets exhibit a burst of activity as they approach the inner planetary system for the very first time, heat up, and sublimate their external layers. This can likewise fake out observers at first, causing excessively positive predictions. We all keep in mind the Great Comet that wasnt during the 1973 passage of C/1973 E1 Kohoutek. A comet such as A1 Leonard has made it through a perihelion passage in the past without disintegrating … though this one will be its last.
Getting brighter … Comet A1 Leonard from November 13th. Credit and copyright: Hisayoshi Kato
Presently, A1 Leonard lies high at dawn for northern hemisphere observers in the constellation Canes Venatici, and begins the plunge sunward throughout the very first half of the month. We actually cross the aircraft of the comets orbit on December 8th, and the comet may display a sharp anti-tail spike sunward around this time.
Another appealing impact might likewise come into play throughout the December phantom of Comet A1 Leonard. The the Sun-Earth-Comet phase-angle for the tail will sit at greater than 120 degrees from December 9th to December 22nd, and reach an optimum of 160 degrees on December 14th just after it passes closest to the Earth on December 12th. This sets up conditions ideal for a possible rise in brightness, including the brightness of the tail to the coma of the comet itself.
Comet A1 Leonard from October 30th. Credit and copyright: Zlatko Orbanic.
Its constantly tough to know precisely what comets will do. The planet Venus actually travels through the tail of Comet A1 Leonard on December 19th, perhaps producing a Venusian meteor shower in the procedure. Presently, just JAXAs Akatsuki objective in on-hand and active in orbit around Venus.
The evening apparition for Comet A1 Leonard will be a bashful one after it flips from morning to the dusk sky around December 15th. For northern hemisphere observers the comet stays low in the sunset. Southern hemisphere audiences will, nevertheless, get a much better deem the comet fades, declining in the instructions of the constellation of Piscis Austrinus in early 2022.
The celestial course of Comet A1 Leonard in December 2021. Credit: Starry Night
Here are some crucial celestial dates with fate for Comet A1 Leonard (note close implies within a degree, unless otherwise indicated):.
November.
28-Crosses into Coma Berenices.
The dawn course of the comet in early December. Credit: Starry Night.
December.
1-Crosses into Canes Venatici.
3-Photo op: passes really near the globular cluster Messier 3.
4-Crosses into Boötes.
6-Passes 4 degrees from the intense star Arcturus.
8-Orbit edge-on as seen from Earth.
9-Crosses into Serpens Caput.
10-Crosses into Hercules.
11-Crosses into Ophiuchus.
12-Crosses the celestial equator southward, and passes 0.233 AU (34.9 million km) from the Earth, moving half a degree (the period of a Full Moon) per hour.
13-Flips over from the morning to night sky, and may peak at +4 th magnitude.
14-Passes near +3.3 magnitude star Nu Ophiuchi, and into Serpens Cauda.
14-Transits Messier 16, and passes 15 degrees from the Sun.
15-Crosses the galactic plane southward.
15-Briefly crosses into Scutum, passes near comet 252P LINEAR, passes 1.5 degrees from Messier 17, and crosses into Sagittarius.
16-Passes near the stars: +3.5 magnitude Xi ^ 2 Sagittarii, +3.8 Omicron Sagittarii and +2.8 Albaldah, and crosses the ecliptic southward.
17-Passes 5 degrees from Venus.
18-Passes simply 0.028 AU (4.2 million km) from Venus.
21-Crosses into Microscopium.
30-Passes into Piscis Austrinus.
The dusk view of Comet A1 Leonard for the last half of December, as appear from South Africa. Credit: Starry Night.
January.
3-Reaches perihelion at 0.62 AU from the Sun.
February.
1-Drops back down listed below +10 th magnitude.
As you can see, mid-December is a hectic one for Comet A1 Leonard, as it nears the dynamic galactic airplane.
The light curve of Comet A1 Leonard, with observations (black dots) versus perihelion (purple line). Adjusted from Seiichi Yoshidas Weekly Information About Bright Comets.
If Comet A1 Leonard over-performs and breaks into naked eye area, things could get really intriguing. Like Comet F3 NEOWISE, A1 Leonard would then have the possible to position with foreground items in the dawn, making for a genuinely photogenic comet.
Intend on braving the early morning December cold to record sight of Comet A1 Leonard at dawn.
Initially released on Universe Today.
A picture of comet Leonard (C/2021 A1) taken November 13, 2021, from June Lake in California. Credit & & Copyright: Dan E. Bartlett
Now is the time to start tracking Comet C/2021 A1 Leonard, as it starts its dawn dive sunward.
The days following New Years 2021 saw a comet discovery with potential. On the night of January 3rd, exactly one year to the day prior to perihelion, astronomer Gregory J. Leonard operating at the Mount Lemmon Observatory near Tucson Arizona discovered the first long-period comet of the year, C/2021 A1 Leonard. Shining at magnitude +19 and 5 Astronomical Units (AU) distant (about the range of Jupiter from the Sun) at the time of discovery, early indicators hinted that comet A1 Leonard may prove to be something unique, come the end of 2021.
On an 80,000 year orbit incoming, Comet A1 Leonard is due for ejection from the solar system after its perihelion passage early next year. The comet reached aphelion 3,500 AU remote in the Oort Cloud about 35,000 years ago. The upcoming perihelion hand down January 3rd, 2022 will be 0.62 AU from the Sun, interior to the orbit of Venus.
On the night of January 3rd, precisely one year to the day prior to perihelion, astronomer Gregory J. Leonard working at the Mount Lemmon Observatory near Tucson Arizona found the very first long-period comet of the year, C/2021 A1 Leonard. Another intriguing impact may likewise come into play throughout the December phantom of Comet A1 Leonard. The planet Venus really passes through the tail of Comet A1 Leonard on December 19th, possibly producing a Venusian meteor shower in the process. The night phantom for Comet A1 Leonard will be a bashful one after it turns from morning to the sunset sky around December 15th. Like Comet F3 NEOWISE, A1 Leonard would then have the prospective to pose with foreground things in the dawn, making for a truly photogenic comet.