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by: Tracy Bloom, Nexstar Media Wire

Posted: Dec 21, 2021 / 09:43 AM CST / Updated: Dec 21, 2021 / 09:43 AM CST
From Fox 2 Now

(KTLA) – This time last year, skygazers were treated to the “Christmas Star,” when Jupiter and Saturn aligned and appeared the closest together from Earth’s vantage point in nearly 800 years.

Flash forward to the week of Dec. 20, 2021, and a “Christmas comet” is streaking through the evening sky.

Comet Leonard, or C/2021 as it is officially known, is the brightest comet of 2021. The celestial object actually made its closest approach to Earth on Dec. 12, when it was about 21 million miles away from our planet.

However, stargazers can still catch this once-in-a-lifetime sighting this week as it passes through the solar system, according to Gregory Leonard, a senior research specialist at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. Leonard first discovered the comet earlier this year, and it’s named after him. Read more…
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