December 3, 2021 – 4:40-6:05 am, clear sky, temp. 30F. Location: La Cueva, Glorieta (home)
This comet is now at magnitude 7, not yet visible unaided but with potential to brighten further in the weeks before perihelion in early January.
Comet Leonard found in scope using GoTo and coordinates; near M3 globular cluster. In binoculars, located as a faint smudge, less than a degree long, halfway between Arcturus and Cor Caroli.
The attached photo is about 20 arc-minutes wide and is a stack of 6 exposures of 10 sec each. (ASI533, Celestron EdgeHD 8″ SCT, 1422mm focal length, f/7) In longer exposures, the comet’s head leaves a trail as it is moving several arc-minutes per hour.
