Leonard comet with double tail

On January 3, the closest Leonard comet to the Sun will begin its journey out of the Solar System forever. Until January 10, the comet will be visible through binoculars or telescopes after sunset near the southern Pisces constellation in the western hemisphere.

Comet Leonard

The comet was discovered in January 2021 by scientist Gregory Leonard using the Mount Lemon Observatory Telescope in the United States. Earlier this month, the Leonard comet passed over Earth

Recently an unusual change was noticed in the tail of the comet. Like the tail inside the tail. This is what astronaut Tony Phillips called the disconnection event. This is the process by which a piece of the tail separates as a result of the solar wind. In 2007, NASA recorded a similar phenomenon.

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Named C / 2021 A1, the comet is the first to enter the interior of the Solar System near Earth. I will never see it again. By January 3, it will have reached its nearest distance to the Sun.

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