How To See the Year’s Brightest Comet, Leonard, As It Nears Earth

How To See the Year’s Brightest Comet, Leonard, , As It Nears Earth.

Leonard is a recently-discovered comet... ... that has been traveling for the past year from where it was first detected, close to Jupiter toward the sun.

The comet is in the early morning sky right at the moment, ... , Ed Krupp, Director of the Griffith Observatory, via NPR News.

... and that means getting up very early, probably around 5:00 a.m.

Or so and looking more or less to the northeast, Ed Krupp, Director of the Griffith Observatory, via NPR News.

The comet will just be about half the width of a clenched fist to the left [of Arcturus].

, Ed Krupp, Director of the Griffith Observatory, via NPR News.

Arcturus is a star that appears low on the horizon, off the end of the Big Dipper constellation.

Astronomers say that while it's the brightest comet of the year.

It will be best observed with a telescope.

You might spot it with the unaided eye, but more likely, you're going to need binoculars [or] a telescope, Ed Krupp, Director of the Griffith Observatory, via NPR News.

Astronomers also say that it's difficult to tell whether or not the comet will be as bright as some comets of 2020.

I wouldn't say this comet will be spectacular if you compare it to Comet Neowise, Peter Veres, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, via NPR News.

The comet will likely be visible as soon as Dec.

6, but perhaps best viewed sometime later this month.

The optimum time [at night] probably is from the Dec.

17 on, Peter Veres, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, via NPR News.

Those who miss the comet this month in North America will need to travel to South America to catch it later in the new year