Stay Eat Events Weather Beaches

New Comet May Be a December Star for Oregon Coast, Washington Coast

Published 12/03/21 at 5:22 AM PST
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

New Comet May Be a December Star for Oregon Coast, Washington Coast

Latest Coastal Lodging News Alerts
In Seaside:
Includes exclusive listings; some specials in summer
In Cannon Beach:
Includes rentals not listed anywhere else
In Manzanita, Wheeler, Rockaway Beach:
Some specials for summer
In Pacific City, Oceanside:
Some specials for summer
In Lincoln City:
Some specials for summer
In Depoe Bay, Gleneden Beach:
Some specials for summer
In Newport:
Look for some specials
In Waldport
Some specials for summer
In Yachats, Florence
Some specials for summer
Southern Oregon Coast Hotels / Lodgings
Reedsport to Brookings, places to stay; summer deals

(Manzanita, Oregon) – An unearthly visitor may be showing up in the skies of the Oregon coast and Washington coast in December. In fact, it's already in the vicinity of Earth – in the cosmic sense - but you just can't see it with the naked eye. (Photo above of Comet Neowise in southern Oregon, courtesy Bureau of Land Management)

Yet.

At least that's the hope for what is known as Comet Leonard, actually called Comet C/2021 A1. Scientists are saying it's quite possible it will start glowing bright enough to be seen without the aid of optics. Even then, however, it will just be a faint, fuzzy star to human eyes, not unlike Comet Neowise was back in 2020.

It certainly has OMSI astronomy expert Jim Todd excited. (See a photo of the comet)

“It still might become the brightest comet of 2021,” he said.

Comet Leonard only recently acquired a glowing tail, after being discovered in January of this year by astronomer Greg Leonard. It's slowly making its way closer to the sun, which causes the ball of ice and gas to grow brighter when its material is heated up by that close encounter with our star. As it reaches perihelion (the closest to our sun), comets like this typically hit their brightest illumination. It makes perihelion on January 3, 2022, which numerous scientists believe will make it a bit of a Christmas spectacle, according to NASA.

“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,” NASA said. “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.”


Courtesy EarthSky.org

NASA said Comet C/2021 A1 is traveling so quickly it will change position daily throughout this month. It's already shifting from being seen in the morning skies to evening skies now. On December 5, for example, it will be very close to the star called Arcturus. Then it will be a ways away the next evening.

On December 12 it makes its closest pass to Earth, which is still some 21 million miles away. When it reaches perihelion it will begin to swing around the sun at 54 million miles from it.

Todd said you'll need a dark sky to view it, which the Oregon coast and Washington coast will have plenty of during the month – weather permitting. However, given the fantastic images caught by photographers along the Oregon and Washington coastlines with Comet Neowise last year, it will be a good portent – photographically. If Comet C/2021 A1 winds up even as faint as Neowise was to the naked eye, it will create some artistic wonders along these shorelines.

Scientists are using what's known as orbital calculations to figure the comet's path through our solar system, and the bad news is it takes thousands of years for it to swing back again.

In the meantime, scientists say right now is a great time to catch the comet with binoculars or telescopes. If you've got a fancy camera system that connects to a telescope, the Oregon coast and Washington coast will be among the prime spots to shoot even now, considering the lack of light interference.

Todd promised more updates for Oregon and Washington soon.

Oregon Coast Hotels for this event - South Coast Hotels - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours


MORE PHOTOS BELOW





Movement of the stars and moon at Manzanita

Star movement at Oceanside


Comet Neowise - Oregon Coast Beach Connection

More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....


Coastal Spotlight


LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles

Oregon / Washington Coast Alerts: Flood Watch, First Big Waves of Season
Floods, lots of rain, high winds and some rather good storm watching, beach safety
Sea Lions Sick with Leptospirosis on Oregon Coast: Keep Pets, Yourselves Away
Stay clear of sick or dead sea lions. Marine sciences, beach safety
Yachats Oktoberfest Takes German Culture on Oregon Coast to New Levels with L...
A kind of accordian-palooza, there's beer, brats, wine and waves, Sept 29 - Oct 1. Yachats events
At Seal Rock's NW Curtis St.: Funky Little Oregon Coast Access with No Name
NW Curtis St., not far from Newport, Yachats or Waldport
Seaside Event Digs Into Mysterious Bayocean, the Oregon Coast Ghost Town
September 28 at 6 p.m. at Seaside Brewing. History, Seasode events, Tillamook
Central Oregon Coast Artist Shows at Florence Visitor Center
Regina 'Reggie' Oflock of Sea Gypsy Cottage Gallery. Florence events
Small Vessel Strands on Central Oregon Coast's South Beach, Cause Unknown
Fishing vessel Judy stuck on a Newport beach. Florence events, Newport events, Lincoln City events, Yachats
SOLVE Cleanup Finds on Oregon Coast Include a Whale
This carcass had been in the news before, victim of orcas. At Otter Rock near Newport. Marine sciences

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net
All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted