Edmonton's forecast for a once-in-a-lifetime look at Comet Leonard

Look up this weekend for a rare sight of Comet Leonard, because you’ll only get to see it once in your entire lifetime.

It may even be bright enough to see with the naked eye, according to NASA. But will it be decently clear to view in Edmonton?

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C/2021 A1, also known as Comet Leonard, is expected to reach peak size and visibility in the Northern Hemisphere’s eastern skies this weekend, according to AstroGeo.

For the best view, AstroGeo says Canadians should keep their eyes on the skies on Saturday, December 11 at around 6:30 pm local time.

Earth Sky also recommends waiting for a dark sky and grabbing a pair of 10×50 binoculars to see the comet.

Stargazers will have their last chance to see the comet at its brightest and largest in the early hours of Sunday, according to Sky & Telescope. 

NASA/JPL-Caltech

The forecast for the comet’s appearance seems to be working against Edmonton.

According to Environment Canada, Saturday night is forecast to be cloudy, so it may be a bit hard to peer through the cloud cover to catch a glimpse of the Comet Leonard.

Environment Canada

It somewhat clears off for Sunday, so maybe during the early hours of Sunday the clouds will start to part and we’ll get a better shot at seeing this comet for the only time in our lives.

Why is this a once-in-a-lifetime event? According to Sky & Telescope, the comet takes tens of thousands of years to complete an orbit around the sun.