C/2021 A1 (Leonard) will be the brightest comet of 2021 in December

Cindy
Dec 06,2021
- 0
SV503, comet, Comet Lenoard, SV305, SV48

C/2021 A1 (Leonard) is a long-period comet. It was discovered by GJ Leonard at Mount Leman Observatory on January 3, 2021. It was the first comet discovered in 2021. At that time, it was 5AU (approximately) from the sun. 750 million kilometers), and it will take more than a year to reach the perihelion.

Catalina Sky Survey

The current total brightness is only about 6-7 magnitudes, and it is expected to be the closest to the earth and the brightest on December 13, 2021. It is roughly estimated that the total brightness will reach 1.9 magnitudes or more by then. It may be the brightest comet in 2021, and it has a chance to dawn. It was previously seen with the naked eye. If you are interested in shooting, you can now see it with medium and large telescopes. Please refer to the figure below for the approximate path it actually travels.

Its maximum brightness has been revised to 4.3, although it is dimmed, it is still visible to the naked eye. Maybe not,Comets are unpredictable.

This is a line graph, not a real path.

Phase angle

It is recommended to use binoculars, short-focus telescopes for observation in places with low light pollution, and use the camera to take long exposure shots to get more details.