“Comets are like racehorses, they say. Because bets on them are often very uncertain. The brightness of the comet often does not behave according to the prediction that the comet should continue to brighten in an orderly manner as it approaches the Sun, “Suchan remarked.
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“It’s happening right now with Comet Leonard, who gave hope for the December spectacle to the naked eye, without binoculars. However, observations from recent days indicate a gradual halt in the growth of its clarity. And because the brightness of a comet depends very much on the activity of its core, ie how much dust is released from the comet’s core, this fact can mean, for example, a possible beginning of the comet’s decay, “explained the vice-chairman of ČAS.
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Further research is needed
However, according to Suchan, the pessimistic prediction is not yet certain and only further observations will confirm what exactly is happening.
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“The Society for Interplanetary Matter at ČAS has analyzed astrometric data, and the comet is not yet deviating in its orbit, which does not confirm the decay of the comet’s core. It is impossible to predict what the comet is going to do next, “he added.
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According to Suchan, the comet can weaken very quickly or almost disappear from the sky after disintegration and remain visible only to large telescopes. “Or there may be an unexpected significant clarification. But if its clarity exceeds the limit for eye observation, it is now a big question, “he said.
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Observations from mid-November
According to the more than a week-old words of astrophotographer and astronomer popularizer Petr Horálek, it was already difficult to tell how the comet would be visible. “At this moment (November 23), the comet is still below the line of sight with the naked eye. But it is expected that better visibility should show around December 6, “he said.
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“Between December 6 and 12, it should be so clear that if it is really above the sight of sight, it should be visible outside the city,” he added, adding that the comet was only seen by people early in the morning.
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“And it will get worse the closer it is to December 12. It will be seen sometime between four and six in the morning over the eastern horizon. Every day will be lower and lower on the horizon, “he warned at the end of November.
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With the help of small telescopes, people could see Comet Leonard in the second half of November, according to astronomer Martin Mašek (FRAM robotic telescope operator of the Institute of Physics of the ASCR at the Pierre Auger observatories in Argentina and CTA in Chile and La Palma) with good visibility after three o’clock in the morning. However, these observations were somewhat disturbed by the full moon.
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According to Mašek’s earlier statement, the comet could cross the line of good visibility in the first days of December. In that case, people, from places without light pollution, could see it with the naked eye. The moon at that time will also be new.
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Then the comet is to reach the Shepherd constellation, pass over the bright star Arcturus on December 6, and cross into the constellation Snake on December 8.
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It probably doesn’t fly around the Sun for the first time
Comet C / 2021 A1 (Leonard) was discovered by American researcher Gregory Leonard on January 3 this year at the Mount Lemmon Observatory in Arizona. While at the time of the discovery it was 737.5 million kilometers from Earth, on December 12 it will approach only 34.9 million km.
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The orbit of Comet Leonard in the solar system
Foto: Catalina Sky Survey
The comet makes its closest approach to the Sun on January 3, 2022, at a distance of 92 million kilometers from our star, according to the website of the Czech Astronomical Society.
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According to scientists, the comet probably made one orbit around the Sun in the distant past.
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