November 13, 2024

Comet C/2021 A (Leonard) 11/24/2021 05h30m EST

Comet C/2021 A (Leonard) 11/24/2021 05h30m EST

Telescope: Astro-Tech 8” f/8 Ritchey-Chretien, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: Canon EOS Ra, Baader Mk III MPCC

Filter: Orion Imaging Skyglow Filter

Guide scope: Astro-Tech 60mm, Starlight Xpress Super Star, PHD2

Exposure: 1x120sec, ISO 800, saved as RAW

Darks: Internal (Long Exposure Noise Reduction On)

Flats: Synthetic

Average Light Pollution: Red zone, Bortle 8, poor transparency, moonlight

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.2

Stacking: None

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: Backyard EOS, Nebulosity, Photoshop

Comet C/2021 A Leonard is a faint comet currently crossing Canes Venatici in the morning sky. When this image was taken the comet was passing between NGC 4631 (The Whale and Pup) to the upper right and NGC 4656 (The Hockey Stick) to the lower left. I had to go real careful with the processing on this image as I haven’t quite figured out how to freeze the comet’s motion against the background sky so this is a single sub.

Comet Leonard is currently well placed high in the northeast at dawn glowing with a total integrated magnitude of 8.2 and is 73.8 million miles away above the Earth’s northern hemisphere.