Video: Newly discovered Comet Leonard was caught approaching the Sun for the first time in 80,000 years

Posted:

25 dic 2021 00:00 GMT

On January 3, C/2021 A1 will pass 90 million km from the Sun, more than half the distance between the Sun and our planet.

NASA telescopes have achieved pick up A small part of the long path of Leonard’s comet before it approaches the sun next January for the first time in about 80,000 years.

The video, which shows the comet sliding diagonally across the sky, is the result of a series of moving images recorded by the SoloHI Heliospheric Image Sensor aboard the NASA and European Space Agency’s Solo science satellite between December 17-17.

Comet C / 2021 A1 or Leonard, discovered by American astronomer Gregory J. Leonard January 3, 2021It stands out for its hyperbolic trajectory and long orbital period. the star kilometer wide, it takes about 40 thousand years to reach its farthest point from the sun, which means that its next visit – if the comet does not change its course – will be in about 80 thousand years.

On January 3, 2022, C/2021 A1 will pass 90 million kilometers from the Sun, more than half the distance between the King of Stars and our planet.

Last December, the comet, considered the brightest comet of 2021, Arrive Its closest point to Earth, only 3,5005,384 km, can be seen with the naked eye.