Comet Leonard is Here! (Patreon)

It's now visible with binoculars and telescopes, and will hopefully become naked eye visible in the first half of December. Early in December you can find it in the east in the predawn hours. From around the 14th it can be found in the south-west in the evening skies after sunset.

The above images were created in Stellarium by my friend, Alan Wallace, who also spoke at our 2021 Nightscaper Conference. For more information on Leonard and to find out what else awaits you in the December night sky check out Alyn's YouTube channel.

QUESTIONS commonly asked: 

• Do you need a telescope to photograph Comet Leonard? Preferably. 
• Can I photograph it just with my camera? Probably. Although, Leonard will not be as bright as Neowise was in 2020.

Here are two shots of Comet Leonard taken recently, (one with a telescope, and one with a DSLR and a telephoto lens) with the techniques and EXIF for each.

As Leonard gets closer to earth (closest is Dec 12), astro photography could be a little easier. Note: This comet is initially in Northern Hemisphere skies. But it will become visible from the Southern Hemisphere in late December 2021 and early January 2022.

My friend, Rafael Pons, from PhotoPills put together this instructive YouTube video on how to find Comet Leonard, and some tips on how to photograph it.

I'd love to see some of your Comet Leonard shots!