Comet Leonard May Become Naked-Eye Visible in December

[CentaurZ]

Comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard) is currently at magnitude +17.3. It might reach naked-eye visibility in December, but that is currently uncertain.

The comet will pass only 0.23 AU from Earth on 2021 DEC 12. It was discovered this year in early January by G. J. Leonard at the Mount Lemmon Observatory.

Photos and descriptions of the comet would be welcome additions to this thread.

 

Edited June 5, 2021 by CentaurZ

[Space Hopper]

Fingers x'ed for a good showing 😀

[CentaurZ]

Here's my updated finder chart.

 

[mdstuart]

I plan to have a go at locating it tomorrow morning from Lyme Regis with some 7 x 50 binoculars from a charity shop.

Mark

[Stu]

39 minutes ago, mdstuart said:

I plan to have a go at locating it tomorrow morning from Lyme Regis with some 7 x 50 binoculars from a charity shop.

Mark

Are you near Lyme Regis Mark? I’ve been planning on getting to the coast at some point when the weather settles a bit, and I have a bit more energy!

[mdstuart]

Yes just here for the weekend and the skies are dark where I am staying and its going to be clear...just got to be done.

Mark

[Stu]

39 minutes ago, mdstuart said:

Yes just here for the weekend and the skies are dark where I am staying and its going to be clear...just got to be done.

Mark

Enjoy Mark 👍

[Captain Scarlet]

Glad I saw this. It's due to be clear 6am tomorrrow morning so I'll leap out and have a go I think.

M

[mdstuart]

Lovely clear dark sky. Easily picker out the comet in my 7 x 50 bins. Hint of a tail. 

Here is my award winning sketch using one note.

[mdstuart]

Here is an image from my phone

 The comet is just visible directly above the bright star d boo.

[Captain Scarlet]

I was up at 6am. Sky was lovely and clear 21.76. The Comet was easily visible in the 15x56 bins with its wide fan tail, and averted-vision borderline naked eye. I’d say as an extended object it was somewhere between M33 and M31 in brightness and extent. Something like M32.3 😃

by the time I packed up nearing 0700 the sky was 19.7 and it was still just about discernible through the bins.

Cheers Magnus

[CentaurZ]

Here's my ephemeris for Comet Leonard: