Leonard

Europe’s sun mission flew through the tail of Comet Leonard

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As Comet Leonard bid farewell to Earth and flew past Venus, a sun-studying spacecraft flew through the comet’s long tail, giving humans a new perspective on the icy wanderer. Discovered last January and also known as Comet C/2021 A1, Comet Leonard was perhaps the most spectacular visitor for skywatchers in 2021. The object put on … Read more

Comet Leonard puts on a final, spectacular display with ion tail in solar wind

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Comet Leonard is falling out of view, but not without putting on one last show. Discovered just a year ago, the comet, formally known as Comet C/2021 A1, made its closest approach to Earth on Dec. 12, marking the climax of a month full of prime observing opportunities. As the comet has continued on its … Read more

Comet Leonard makes its closest approach to the sun today, one year after its discovery

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The brightest comet in the night sky right now makes its closest approach to the sun Monday (Jan. 3) and — even if it survives the journey — that will be the only time the comet sees our star close up. That icy wanderer is Comet Leonard, which got brighter unexpectedly in late December as … Read more

Stellar Video Shows Comet Leonard as It Zips by Earth For The 1st Time in 80,000 Years

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Since early this year, skywatchers on Earth have been tracking Comet Leonard, a kilometer-wide dirty snowball made of ice, rock, and dust. Now, as it heads towards a close encounter with the Sun on 3 January 2022, several spacecraft – with the distinct advantage of having an unobstructed front-row seat to the action – have … Read more

Comet Leonard shines amid aurora and meteor shower in stunning footage by Chinese spacecraft

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A small space telescope launched by a Chinese space resources company captured an epic shot of the brightest comet of the year on the backdrop of an aurora and passing meteors. Yangwang 1, a small satellite belonging to Chinese space resources company Origin Space, took the image while Comet Leonard was making its closest approach … Read more

Comet Leonard discoverer explains how the unusual object was found

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Discovered nearly a year ago, Comet Leonard is on its final tour of Earth’s neighborhood, lighting up the night sky for viewers this holiday season.  Comet Leonard — the brightest and most anticipated comet of the year — was discovered by Gregory Leonard, a senior research specialist at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary … Read more

‘Outbursts’ from Comet Leonard spotted by NASA satellite (video)

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NASA’s STEREO-A satellite caught this view of Comet Leonard as it continued to streak into the inner solar system last week. STEREO-A captured the warming comet as it cast off a gassy shroud and spiked in brightness. Named for Gregory Leonard, an astronomer at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory who discovered the … Read more

Comet Leonard may have spawned meteor shower on Venus

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Comet Leonard may be sparking meteor showers at Venus this weekend during a relatively close approach of the comet to the planet. Officially known as comet C/2021 A1, also known as Comet Leonard was discovered in January by astronomer Gregory J. Leonard of the Mount Lemmon Infrared Observatory in Arizona. Its close pass of Venus this … Read more

Brightening Comet Leonard may be visible without a telescope. Look near Venus.

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Comet Leonard spent the first couple of weeks of December visible as a target for observers with binoculars and telescopes in the early morning sky before sunrise.  Now, however, the viewing venue has changed and the newfound Comet Leonard (cataloged as C/2021 A1) has moved into the evening sky, visible low above the southwestern horizon … Read more