TRAGIC! Comet Leonard death announced; it visited Earth recently, then THIS happened
Comet Leonard will never visit Earth again. In December 2021, the night sky over Earth had a particularly shiny guest come visiting. It was a dazzling spectacle! This comet was so bright that it even outshined Venus, one of the brightest celestial bodies visible at night. This comet, named C/2021 A1 or Comet Leonard and discovered by GJ Leonard delighted many astronomers and enthusiasts alike as they gazed at it flying across the sky. However, it appears that the beloved comet is no more! Yes, Comet Leonard death has been announced. The blame for Comet Leonard death has been laid squarely on our Sun. It has apparently disintegrated into smaller pieces as it came near the Sun. Read on to find out the reason behind Comet Leonard’s death.
On March 23, 2022, EarthSky reported that the comet Leonard disintegrated after its perihelion on Jan 3, 2022. Perihelion is the point in the orbit of a planet, asteroid, or comet at which it is closest to the Sun. Observations have revealed that after it started moving away from the Sun, it was missing its nucleus (core) and the coma (temporary atmosphere). The remnants of the comet are still moving and are visible in the morning sky in the Earth’s southern hemisphere.
The discoverer, G.J. Leonard talked about the legacy of the beloved Comet Leonard in an email shared with EarthSky and said, “C/2021 A1’s legacy will likely be the spectacular outburst-induced displays of its ion tail structures. Otherworldly and astonishing are the only descriptions that come to mind when I began viewing the images being posted online by a handful of dedicated expert astrophotographers, particularly after December 19, 2021, when the comet began undergoing strong periodic outburst activity”.
The Comet Leonard,
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