Comet Leonard has broken into pieces as it rounds the sun
(SPACE) – The brightest comet of 2021 has disintegrated, according to EarthSky.
An icy wanderer known as Comet Leonard (C/2021 A1) fell apart during its perihelion, or closest approach to the sun, the report said. Perihelion was projected for Jan. 3, roughly a year after the comet's discovery.
The comet's discoverer Gregory Leonard, of the Catalina Sky Survey in Tucson, told EarthSky the comet's legacy was the tail structures made up of charged particles, known as ions. The tail was subject to "spectacular outburst-induced displays" after spotting the comet on Jan. 3, 2021, he said.
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