Comet Leonard - Yet another Binoculars Session (3rd in a row without getting out scope) - 5th Dec 2021 6:15am

[Captain Scarlet]

Those who’ve been following the Comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard) threads might have noticed my couple of posts describing my own observation of that comet this morning. But I did manage to see a little more.

I got up at 6am and was outside with my Zeiss Conquest 15x56s by 6:15, sitting in the garden chair I keep permanently stationed in the small bocage-boreen behind the house with a good south-easterly aspect. The sky was startlingly clear: I measured 21.76 with my meter and the sky was ablaze. I’m an owl. I don’t easily do the getting up really early thing though I can if I need to (Christ I spent a whole career getting on my bike in the winter dark but that doesn’t count!). But getting up with total dark adaptation already fully-installed and walking out into a night like this morning was something else. Worth it for its own sake let alone a special event.

Anyway, the whole point was to try to see the comet. I knew it was “just to the right” of Rho Bootis (one of the main Bootis stars) and as soon as I lifted my bins the comet smacked me in the face. And to crown it, at that moment a meteor flashed right past in the bins view! Almost congratulatory. The comet was not quite naked eye, perhaps just about with averted vision but it was slightly drowned by 12 Boo which this morning lay a bit “beneath” it. The comet was quite large with an obvious core and outward diffusion, and a prominent wide-fan tail. Somewhere between M31 and M33 in diffuse-brightness as I mentioned in my comet posts. I have no feel for extended-object magnitude numbers I’m afraid. I sort of feel it’s the wrong measure.

The comet “bagged”, and with dawn about to start, I felt the need to see how some other normally difficult targets looked, particularly as they’d be near zenith at a time when literally everybody’s lights are off.

I started with M101 the Pinwheel Galaxy. I’ve looked at this several times quite recently through bins with some success but only during the early evening when lately it’s been not very high up. It’s been a “is that faint patch it? Yes it is” type object. This dark morning, not far from zenith, it was readily noticeable, rather like M33 at astro-dark in the evenings. In hindsight, I should also have had a go for IC342 the Hidden Galaxy, a measure more difficult again in the series M33 => M101 => IC342. It was the perfect opportunity. Next time.

I moved on to M51 the other side of the Plough asterism and it was extraordinary. Clearly a double-smudge (in bins remember). Encouraged, I thought why not try for M81/M82, though I was less sure exactly where they were. I vaguely recalled I should project linearly from Phecda through Dubhe the same distance again … and there they were! Bang! Really rather bright: one bright blob and one bright edge, both perfectly framed in the same field of view! Magical. And through just 56mm of aperture (79mm equivalent if you add the two up…).

I have to say, the West of Ireland is the best equipment upgrade I could possibly have made.

The plan had been to get up at 6am, grab the bins, tick off the comet, and go straight back to bed. In the event I added to my list of memorable views aside from the comet. As a final check, just before I finally caved in to head back to bed (for that is what I did), at just after 7am the sky was at 19.70 and I could just about still detect the comet.

Cheers, Magnus

 

[PeterW]

What sort of brightness? I am debating trying to get up to have a go, but you know what my skies are like!

Peter

[Captain Scarlet]

15 minutes ago, PeterW said:

What sort of brightness? I am debating trying to get up to have a go, but you know what my skies are like!

Peter

I’m not sure I’d have been able to get it from my place in London. I’d say it’s like a slightly dimmer version of what you can see as M31 from Middlesex. Perhaps like seeing M33 from say Berkshire skies.

[Mark at Beaufort]

Magnus that is an excellent report. Sometimes using binoculars can be very enjoyable especially at a dark site. I am hoping for another clear early morning but it's not looking too good.

[Pete Presland]

Just found it this morning (5.30), an easy spot in my Skymaster Pro 20x80's despite the windy hazy conditions. Large core and a slight hint of tail visible, the Mag 6-7 seemed about right to me.

Clear skies permitting hopefully a few more views to come.

[Nik271]

Saw Leonard this morning at 6am in my 20x80 bins, in hazy twilight conditions. It didn't look much brighter than the previous morning, I will say mag 6. It moved  past the 8-th magnitude star SAO 101575 as I was watching it. I estimate it covered more than 5' in 20 minutes! It's practically racing across the sky, unfortunately heading lower and lower towards the horizon for us, just as it get brigher. There may be a couple more days to see it in the morning before it becomes an evening comet.

Edited December 9, 2021 by Nik271

[Epick Crom]

Super report Magnus! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it👍