![]() As it gets a little closer, it could become visible to the naked eye, making for some attractive pictures, but, for us concerned with objects that could pose a threat to Earth, this comet is thankfully rather unspectacular,” explains Marco Micheli, Astronomer in ESA’s Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre. “This is a bright-ish comet that we see in the skies on average once per year. While not many people will have witnessed a comet appear in the sky, comet Leonard is not particularly unique. The comet is now on course to exit the solar system. 12, and made its closest approach to the Sun on Jan. It flew past Earth at a distance of about 35 million kilometers (22 million miles) on Dec. Fortunately, such comets are rare – with only 100 known at present and just one or two added to the books each year. Comet Leonard will be visible for a little bit longer through mid-January. Such comets are kept under the close watchful eye of ESA’s NEOCC, because, like asteroids, any strike with Earth could have a very damaging impact. Near-Earth Comets (NECs) are defined as those completing a full revolution of the Sun within 200 years, with a closest distance to the Sun within 1.3 Astronomical Units – the distance between the Sun and Earth. ![]() Sometimes, a comet’s orbit will see it edge close to Earth. It is when Earth sporadically passes through the old trail of ancient comets that meteor showers occur, a beautiful, safe reminder of Earth’s fragility in the Solar System. Interestingly, these long tails linger in place even once the comet has moved on. Orbiting the Sun, they edge towards the inner Solar System, emitting particles and gasses when heated by solar radiation producing their characteristic tail, then returning to the further reaches of about 50 000 times the distance of Earth from the Sun. These small bodies are thought to be icy leftovers from the early phases of the forming of the outer planets. This real color image shows comet Leonard streaming through the sky on the morning of December 7, 2021, taken by ESA’s Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre (NEOCC), part of the Agency’s Planetary Defence Office, using the Calar Alto Schmidt telescope in Spain.Ĭurrently, we know of 3775 comets in the Solar System. Less common, but not entirely unusual, are distant, seemingly slow-moving comets, sometimes visible to the naked eye. Get out of the city if you’re in one, look up, and you’re likely to see sporadic ‘shooting stars’ ripping with speed through the atmosphere. However, it might become visible to the naked eye around its close approach on December 12 – a treat for those who spot it, but it gets a “yawn” (thankfully) from ESA’s Planetary Defence Office. Not quite a Christmas miracle, nor the star of Bethlehem: comet Leonard is a rather typical comet going about its typical path around the Sun. This image shows comet Leonard streaming through the sky on the morning of December 7, 2021, taken by ESA’s Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre (NEOCC), part of the Agency’s Planetary Defence Office, using the Calar Alto Schmidt telescope in Spain.
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