STARGAZERS don’t want to miss the brightest comet of the year, which is whizzing towards us right now.
Comet Leonard is blasting our way and astronomers expect it to be super bright on December 12.
Comet Leonard is coming[/caption]
It’s also a once in a lifetime moment to catch a glimpse of Leonard, as the blazing celestial object is not due to be within our sights again for another 80,000 years – that’s if it doesn’t disintegrate when it goes close to the sun in January.
The shooting star has been on a 35,000 year journey from deep space to reach us.
Where is Leonard now?
The comet inches ever closer by the second – travelling at a whooping 158,000 miles per hour.
You might think that ruins any chance of spotting the comet when it flies by, but actually it’ll appear a lot slower, so fear not.
At the time of publishing, it was located in a large constellation called Bootes, which is found north of the celestial equator.
Luckily you can keep track of Leonard’s movements in real-time using theskylive.com.
There is also a ‘Planetarium’ button at the top left that lets you see an interactive view of space and the comet’s current position from Earth.
Alternatively, you can use the Night Sky app.
Leonard also has its own Twitter account which posts regular updates on its movements.
Most read in News
Can I see Leonard?
Yes! Us on Earth should be able to see Leonard, and better still, you may be able to spot it without binoculars.
Sadly for UK stargazers, the closest approach is not expected to be visible for the main event.
That’s because of the country’s low position on the south-eastern horizon before twilight.
Instead, it’s better to try early mornings around 4am GMT before December 10.
By December 14, stargazers in North America and the Southern Hemisphere can start looking for the comet above the horizon after sunset.
On December 17, there’ll be a chance for some stargazers to spot it just below Venus in the evening sky.
To increase your chances, grab a pair of binoculars look at a time when the sky is clear and be in a place with very little light pollution.
Is Comet Leonard a ‘Doomsday comet’?
A bible scholar previously claimed to have decoded scriptures that reveal Comet Leonard will imminently herald the Apocalypse — as it’s set to arrive around Christmas time.
David S. Heeren, who has spent 16 years studying ‘holy passages’, claims to have found 200 clues that the period leading to the Second Coming and the end times will be marked by the space phenomena.
Heeren’s investigation, which he outlines in his book High Signs, began after reading the text of Isaiah, which depicts great visions given to the prophet.
During his research he noted scores of images of comets which came before major events.
You can track Leonard’s movements in real-time[/caption]
In other news, a rare space event is due to happen today.
NASA has slammed Russia after a missile it fired into one of its own satellites forced the space station to perform an emergency swerve.
The space agency has also warned that a massive asteroid bigger than the Eiffel Tower is expected to hurtle within Earth’s orbit this weekend.
And a tiny hut-like object dubbed the “mysterious house” has been spotted on the far side of the moon.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at [email protected]
Source link
