See pictures of comet Leonard approaching the sun – science

Surrounding spacecraft are in operation Soul, Managed by NASA And Space Company The European Union (ESA), offers beautiful images Kite
Also known as C / 2021 A1 Leonard, The fastest piece of rock, dust and ice currently traveling through the solar system.

Comets usually appear from anywhere or more precisely from the Oort Cloud. The US website Kismoto explains that this is the case with Leonard, which was discovered by astronomers in early January this year.

Leonard will make “visits” to the Earth’s orbit for a while, but it will not be long. The comet is rapidly approaching the perihelion, which is the closest point in its orbit to the Sun, which explains the site as having a glowing and dusty, gaseous tail. However, it has been eroding for years.

In addition, C / 2021 A1 is currently very weak and can only be seen from Earth through binoculars or telescopes.

Kismoto says Leonard’s closest approach will take place on January 3, by which time he will be 144 million km from the sun.

If it does not disintegrate, it will embark on a 35,000-year journey to the edge of the solar system.

Comet Leonard’s voyage is also reported by space telescopes, especially the Solar Terrain Relations Observatory-A (Stereo-A), Powered by NASA and the Solar Orbiter, a joint project of NASA and ESA.