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Astronomy Picture of the Day - Introducing Comet Leonard
APOD.NASA.gov ^ | 21 Nov, 2021 | Image Credit & Copyright: Dan Bartlett

Posted on 11/21/2021 4:05:41 PM PST by MtnClimber

Explanation: Here comes Comet Leonard. Comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard) was discovered as a faint smudge in January 2021 when it was out past Mars -- but its orbit will take the giant shedding ice-ball into the inner Solar System, passing near both Earth and Venus in December before it swoops around the Sun in early January 2022. Although comets are notoriously hard to predict, some estimations have Comet Leonard brightening to become visible to the unaided eye in December. Comet Leonard was captured just over a week ago already sporting a green-tinged coma and an extended dust tail. The featured picture was composed from 62 images taken through a moderate-sized telescope -- one set of exposures tracking the comet, while another set tracking the background stars. The exposures were taken from the dark skies above the Eastern Sierras (Mountains), near June Lake in California, USA. Soon after passing near the Earth in mid-December, the comet will shift from northern to southern skies.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: astronomy; c2021a1; cometleonard; greencomet; nasa; science
To be added or removed from the Astronomy Picture of the Day ping list please send me a request via "Private Reply" (Mail).

For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

1 posted on 11/21/2021 4:05:41 PM PST by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

2 posted on 11/21/2021 4:06:00 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; abb; AFB-XYZ; America_Right; AZ .44 MAG; BBB333; ...
Pinging the APOD list.

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔


3 posted on 11/21/2021 4:06:48 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

4 posted on 11/21/2021 4:09:02 PM PST by ClearCase_guy (Alec Baldwin has killed more people than the Jan 6 protesters. And he will serve less jail time.)
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To: MtnClimber

I can see that being a Leonard. It’s got a green glow to it. Elron or Yoda would have been good names too.


5 posted on 11/21/2021 4:15:55 PM PST by DannyTN
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To: DannyTN

Yes, kind of like Spock without the pointy ears. Can you say pointy ears anymore?


6 posted on 11/21/2021 4:22:31 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

bttt


7 posted on 11/21/2021 4:47:58 PM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire. Or both.)
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To: MtnClimber

Canadians might take offence at “pointy ears”, but eh, they’re Canadian, It’s not like they haven’t integrated with the elf population.


8 posted on 11/21/2021 5:30:36 PM PST by DannyTN
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To: MtnClimber

Bump


9 posted on 11/21/2021 8:10:24 PM PST by Loud Mime (A living and breathing Constitution empowers evil; living and breathing Commandments do was well. )
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To: MtnClimber

Nice!

https://freerepublic.com/tag/greencomet/index


10 posted on 11/21/2021 9:55:23 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: MtnClimber

Comets are not iceballs, they are highly electrically charged asteroids.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2088341-identity-crisis-comet-may-really-be-closest-asteroid-to-the-sun/


11 posted on 11/22/2021 7:12:15 AM PST by Yollopoliuhqui
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