SAN ANTONIO — The brightest comet of 2021, Comet Leonard, made its closest approach to Earth on Dec. 12 but the comet could still be visible until around Christmas time, according to space.com.
The website says as the comet travels closer to the sun, its tail and coma - the cloud of dust and gas that surrounds the comet may scatter sunlight, making the comet appear brighter and possibly easier to see.
Comet Leonard is named after Gregory Leonard, a senior research specialist at the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory who discovered the comet.
Here's how you can best view the comet:
- Look to a dark sky away from bright city lights.
- Bring binoculars or a telescope.
- Point your view above the horizon just after sunset
The next chance to see Comet Leonard won't be for another 80,000 years, the website says.
