December is indeed a month full of celestial events as Earth will be visited by a flying object that is so rare that this will be the first and last time it will be seen. But no, this is not Santa Claus doing an early delivery of gifts. Scientists said that the comet is traveling across space at speeds of 157,000 miles per hour.
Comet C/2006 P1 McNaught is pictured at twilight over Sydney Harbour January 16, 2007 in Sydney, Australia. The 31st of 32 comets discovered by astronomer Rob McNaught of the Siding Spring Observatory is the brightest comet in 40 years. The blurred black trails at left and right are silhouettes of bats as they flew across the sky in this slow shutter speed exposure. (Photo by John Pryke/Getty Images)
How to See the Christmas Comet in Different Parts of the World
The Comet Leonard, also known as the Christmas comet, is the brightest and the best comet that passed by Earth this year. It will be closest to the planet this week, although astronomers warn that bad weather could hamper viewing the comet. Here are some places where the comet will be visible:
United Kingdom
According to LancsLive, the Christmas comet will be visible from Lancashire and the rest of the United Kingdom. Kielder Observatory director of astronomy at science communication Dan Pye said that the comet is best viewed from a dark place. Since the comet is on the cusp where the naked eye can see it, he emphasized that good conditions and dark skies are needed, preferably far from light pollution.
Discovered earlier this year at Mount Lemmon Observatory in Tucson, Arizona, by Greg Leonard, the comet is set to pass closest to Earth on December 12 at a distance of 21.7 million miles.
This once-in-a-lifetime comet may not be as bright as Neowise. It can still be seen with brightness at magnitude 5.7. Stargazers and astronomy enthusiasts could use a pair of binoculars, or a small telescope pointed to the east or northeast and down towards the horizon between 4 AM and sunrise.
ALSO READ: December Night Sky 2021: How to Watch Christmas Comet Leonard, Geminid Meteors, Venus This Month
Australia
As of now, the southern hemisphere can not see the Christmas comet. According to ABC News, the comet Leonard could put on an excellent show in Australian skies this Christmas Day if it survived the next seven days.
But some astronomers have described it like cats. They both have tails and do whatever they want. Amateur astronomer Mr. Michael Mattiazzo from Victoria, who runs the website Southern Comet Homepage, said that comets are interesting to study because they are difficult to predict and sometimes surprise or disappoint scientists.
He added that comet Leonard is threatening to break apart right now and hanging by a thread. Mr. Mattiazzo has been observing comets since 1986 and even discovered several celestial bodies in the past decades. Given his experience, he said that he is confident that the Christmas comet is slightly in trouble and at the borderline of surviving its approach to the Sun or not.
Christmas Comet Will Never Be Seen Again
Astronomers said that comet Leonard likely spent 35,000 years traveling toward the Sun, and it will finally make its close pass to the Solar System's star next year on January 3, ABC 7 reported. But after that, the comet will never return, and so humans can no longer see it pass again, neither the planet nor the Sun.
The news outlet reported that the comet will brighten as it gets closer to the Sun, which will be in a few weeks leading up to it being easier to see. Although it will travel at ultra-fast speeds, it will appear like a slow-moving object because of its distance from Earth.
RELATED ARTICLE: C/2021 A1 Leonard Comet Will Make an Exclusive Appearance in December Before Perihelion Passage in January 2022
Check out more news and information on Space in Science Times.
