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                           Astronomy Picture of the Day   
      
       Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our   
         fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation   
                       written by a professional astronomer.   
      
                                 2021 December 12   
      
                       Comet Leonard Before Star Cluster M3   
                      Image Credit & Copyright: Dan Bartlett   
      
      Explanation: Comet Leonard is now visible to the unaided eye -- but   
      just barely. Passing nearest to the Earth today, the comet is best seen   
      this week soon after sunset, toward the west, low on the horizon.   
      Currently best visible in the north, by late December the comet will   
      best be seen from south of Earth's equator. The featured image of Comet   
      C/2021 A1 (Leonard) was taken a week ago from California, USA. The deep   
      exposure shows in great detail the comet's green gas coma and   
      developing dust tail. The comet -- across our inner Solar System and   
      only light-minutes away -- was captured passing nearly in front of   
      globular star cluster M3. In contrast, M3 is about 35,000 light-years   
      away. In a week, Comet Leonard will pass unusually close to Venus, but   
      will continue on and be at its closest to the Sun in early January.   
      
                        Tomorrow's picture: meteor mountain   
        __________________________________________________________________   
      
          Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)   
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