Editor’s Note: The Comet Leonard made its final appearance in January 2022. It has now moved out of our solar system and into interstellar space.
Christmas lights. They’re everywhere! In every city, in every neighborhood, on every street. The entire state is glowing with holiday cheer this month, and we love it. But did you know the West Virginia sky is also lighting up right now? Not with Christmas lights, but with the brightest comet of 2021, Comet Leonard.
The brightest comet of 2021 is passing by earth in December. That in itself makes Comet Leonard worth keeping an eye out for in the winter night sky.
But here's the rest of the story: this comet has never, ever been seen before this year, and it will never, ever be seen again. Yes, you read that right: this year provides the one and only chance humanity has to see this natural phenomenon pass by our earth before it gets flung out to the outer reaches of space and lost forever from sight.
Here's a model of Comet Leonard's path around the sun (that center yellow dot), showing it first crossing earth's orbit (the darker blue circle) in mid-December of 2021. After its orbit around our sun, it will be ejected from the solar system, never to pass by earth again.
The C/2021 A1 (Leonard) comet was first observed by G.J. Leonard on January 3 of 2021. It's been visible to the naked eye in the sky above West Virginia since December 5, and, with an apparent magnitude of 6, is shaping up to be the brightest comet of the year.
From mid-December on, you'll need to watch the evening sky just after sunset. It should appear in the west between Venus and the horizon for another week or so before moving out of view of a stargazer in the Northern Hemisphere.
Remember that a comet's visibility is notoriously difficult to predict. That means that even though Leonard is shaping up to be bright enough to see with just the eyes, that could change. Keep binoculars or a telescope handy!
To learn more about where and when to spot Comet Leonard, as well as some other fun things to watch for in the December night sky (Geminids, anyone?), head over to NASA’s website here. For best results, find some place nice and dark to watch the sky.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
