Fame is fleeting.
And so are some comets. Astronomer Greg Leonard provides a good example of fleeting fame and fleeting comets. Mr. Leonard is the Arizona scientist who, on Jan. 3, 2021, discovered a previously unknown comet that became known as Comet Leonard, or Comet C/2021A1 (Leonard).
This comet has shown itself to us throughout December and will make a last visual pass of the sun on Jan. 3, 2022 (cosmic coincidence?) before likely disappearing from the universe.
Of particular interest is the flash-in-the-pan nature of this comet. Seeing it is a once-in-a-lifetime event since its full orbit takes about 80,000 years. Its round-trip travel time might be irrelevant since the comet could very well be destroyed during the voyage.
Scientists suspect that Comet Leonard may not survive too long after its impending pass by the sun, perhaps disintegrating because of the sun’s heat. Or it may be flung out to space, never to return, because the comet’s escape velocity could provide enough speedy “umph” to allow it to break free of the sun’s orbit.
So how did it get here and why might it be lost forever? Gravity answers both questions. Comet Leonard hails from the Oort Cloud, a faraway comet cluster, and was bumped out of that grouping by some sort of gravitational nudge or galactic disturbance that put it into a new orbit and on its way to our system 40,000 years ago. With its aforementioned escape velocity that will best the gravitational force of the sun, it could be flung out of our solar system forever.
For lucky sky watchers, there have been opportunities to see this comet in the southwest just after sunset during December as it passed by the earth and other planets. The last possible time to see it would be around Jan. 3 as it makes its perihelion (the closest part of the orbit around the sun), after which it will disappear from sight. While this comet may be viewed by the naked eye, astronomers suggest at least using binoculars, if not a telescope, to get it in your sight.
Comet Leonard is a mass of space dust, rock, gases and ice just more than a half mile in width. Moving 44 miles per second, it is ultra fast and has a tail. Scientists hope that they will be able to learn more as it approaches its final and closest appearance to our planet.
If it disappears, astronomer Greg Leonard shouldn’t feel that he has lost his 15 minutes of fame. After all, there are other comets named Leonard — 14 at last count — since comets are named for the person who discovers them and Mr. Leonard seems quite prolific in his ability to find these fleeting fancies. There will likely be more comets and fame to come for this scientist.
For the comet, its 15 minutes of fame will be a bit longer, at 365 days in the public eye. And like many a celebrity, it seems destined to crash and burn.
Suzan Bellincampi is islands director for Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Edgartown and the Nantucket Wildlife Sanctuaries. She is also the author of Martha’s Vineyard: A Field Guide to Island Nature and The Nature of Martha’s Vineyard.
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