Leonard, potential Christmas comet

[Channel Hopper]

A bit of a stretch, regardless of cloud cover.

Astonishing bright green comet is visible to the naked eye

Mag 6 is usually defined as Uranus on a clear, dark, pollution free night.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Leonard visible in the early evening from now on.

 

[Channel Hopper]

This morning's virtual telescope event cancelled due to clouds

 

[Channel Hopper]

Not good. Cloudy around here for the next three days at sunset.

Apparently close to mag 4 as well.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Checking JAXA data for the Venus observation craft, the VCO (Venus Climate Orbiter) ,Akatsuki may have some cameras trained on Leonard as it passes. If not the tail of the comet could shower some debris into the atmosphere on the 19th/20th once passed. Unfortunately it's in Japanese but here are the highlights

https://www.isas.jaxa.jp/home/great/misasadocs/RSU-2020061-0A.pdf

Facilities back home

Usuda Deep Space Center ｜ ISAS

www.isas.jaxa.jp

and the craft

PLANET-C/Akatsuki - NASA

The Venus Climate Orbiter mission (PLANET-C), or "AKATSUKI", is studying the atmospheric circulation of Venus. Meteorological information will be obtained by globally mapping clouds and minor constituents successively with four cameras at ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths, detecting lightning...

www.nasa.gov

 

[Channel Hopper]

Cloud for the next four days.

| EarthSky

earthsky.org

Bugger !

 

[Channel Hopper]

APOD: 2021 December 15 - Comet Leonard from Space

A different astronomy and space science related image is featured each day, along with a brief explanation.

apod.nasa.gov

 

[Channel Hopper]

 

[Analoguesat]

sadly I have a feeling its going to be difficult to see in the UK due to the twilight

 

[Channel Hopper]

sadly I have a feeling its going to be difficult to see in the UK due to the twilight

The continuous grey cloud cover here is due to continue for a few days so the Venus encounter (2.5 million miles or less ?) is going to be hidden.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Mag 2.5 - 3.5 at the moment

 

[Analoguesat]

Toonight is probably the best hope of seeing Leonard here. Its nice & clear atm.

 

[Analoguesat]

As suspected - too much twilight here to stand any realistic chance.

 

[Topper]

I thought I would be lucky tonight as it had been a clear sky all day, as Venus rose above the rooftops at 4.15pm I was still hopeful, blow me 10 minutes later cloud swept in from the south.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Suddenly The ‘Christmas Comet’ Has Surged In Brightness: How To See Comet Leonard Before It Fizzles Out

Could the sudden outburst be followed by a fragmentation? Comet Leonard is visible to the naked eye in the west after sunset—here's how, when and where to find it while you still can.

www.forbes.com

THe outlook for the next two days is clearing skies in the south, so perhaps a glimpse at last.

 

[Terryl]

It's been overcast here all week, and looks to be that way till new years, looks like I will have to wait another 80,000 years to see it come by again.

 

[Channel Hopper]

 

[Channel Hopper]

Comet Leonard Captured in Stunning Photos by Backyard Photographer

Photographer Andrew McCarthy captured incredible close-up photos of Comet Leonard from his backyard in Arizona,

petapixel.com

Perihelion tomorrow, visible perhaps.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Perhaps not, rain commences around 2pm this afternoon.

 

[Channel Hopper]

https://i.redd.it/fe3aapcl06981.jpg

Comet Leonard in clearish (Canberra!) skies - 31 December 2021 - Major & Minor Planetary Imaging - Cloudy Nights

Comet Leonard in clearish (Canberra!) skies - 31 December 2021 - posted in Major & Minor Planetary Imaging: Amazing night...At the end I had a Mars encounter with the Moon in the morning and started with Comet Leonard at evening...so much going on, no wonder people kept letting off fireworks, at...

www.cloudynights.com