Chris Schur used a 10-inchNewtonian telescope and a 60-minute camera exposure to take a picture of comet Leonard. Chris Schur is the image credit.
The comet Leonard made its closest approach to Earth today and should be visible through binoculars and telescopes.
Leonard was discovered in January by Gregory J. Leonard of the Mount LemmonInfrared Observatory in Arizona. It passed Earth at a range of 34 million km, but is not visible to the naked eye.
Leonard is a comet that takes about 80,000 years to travel around the sun. If you're looking for a telescope of binoculars to see planets in the sky, check out our guide for the best binoculars deals and the best telescope deals available now. The best cameras for astronomy and the best lens for astronomy can help you spot the next comet.
Do you want to see Leonard? Here are telescope and binoculars suggestions.
The sky map shows the location of the comet in the night sky. The image is from NASA/JPL-Caltech.
According to a NASA guide, comet Leonard can be seen about 30 minutes after sunset on Sunday. The comet will rise above the eastern horizon at 6:37 a.m. on Monday. 12 minutes after the sun sets.
There are some good videos for you. It was created with a sketch.
The comet will be visible in the morning sky until March of 2022, when it will only be visible through a large telescope, according to the guide.
Leonard will be visible for about 30 minutes after sunset and will be visible for about 2 degrees above the horizon as evening twilight ends at . NASA added. NASA wrote that this should be a good time to look for a comet. Your closed fist covers about 10 degrees of the night sky.
Leonard is fading and acting strange.
It's not certain when or even if the eye can see comet Leonard. The comet will make its closest sun approach on January 3, 2022.
The peak brightness is expected to be around Dec. 13 or 14, 2021, about 1 to 2 days after its closest to the Earth, according to NASA. If the comet is giving off a lot of dust, this should make the peak brighter because of forward scattering which could shift the peak later.
If you take a picture of a comet or night sky, send it to spacephotos@space.com with your name and location in the subject line.
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