Comet P/2026 R2 (Leonard)
Periodic comet · 0.79 AU from the Sun at closest
First spotted on 14 September 2026 at University of Arizona Catalina Sky Survey. Comets carry the name of whoever finds them; this one is named for Leonard, the observer credited with spotting it. It is a Halley-type comet, looping back every 21.8 years. At its closest it passes 0.79 AU (118 million km) from the Sun, between the orbits of Venus and Earth. When it was found it was about magnitude 18, far too faint to see without a large telescope.
For the background, read Comets: what they are and how to see one in Comets.
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