Jason E. Andersen

There is a pretty cool comet in the night sky right now. It’s not a killer death comet like they make movies about. Rather, this comet is more like the lone traveler who says “Sup” as they saunter by and are never seen again. This is Comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard), more commonly known as Comet Leonard.

Bonus Fun Fact: Comet Leonard is a new addition to our solar system, having only been discovered on January 3rd, 2021. Its orbit takes it around the sun once every 80,000 years or so. Humans were barely a species the last time the comet was so close, so it’s no wonder it was unknown until this year. Comet Leonard will be making its closest approach to the sun on January 3rd, 2022, and continuing on its long, dark journey afterward.

Bonus Bonus Fun Fact: You can view Comet Leonard by looking to the southwest at dusk. You will see a very bright spot above the horizon, that’s Venus (besides the moon, Venus is the brightest object in the night sky, by the way). Comet Leonard should be slightly below and to the left. You’ll probably have to use binoculars or better to get a good view.

Bonus Bonus Bonus Fun Fact: Comet Leonard is traveling at a speed of 158,084 miles per hour, which puts it solidly in the ultrafast category of comets. For comparison, the fastest human space flight was Apollo 10 in 1969, which topped out at a paltry 24,791 mph on its way back to Earth from the moon.