Comet Leonard Dec 6-12 - naked eye visibility

[RobertH]

It should be evening on the 6th, morning on the 12th, and I don't know
if the orbit will take it through the sun - NEOWISE didn't, it hung far north.

https://www.space.com/comet-leonard-shin...cember-sky

Nelson Rd should be good for the AM apparition, as it will only be 10 degrees above the horizon.
Balarat for the Dec6 might be good.

Cheyenne or KT might know some orbital elements to figure out observing spots.

[CheyenneWills]

Right at the moment, it is a early (3:30AM) morning object and rises in the east.  It's "near" Arcturus  which is a fairly bright star -- follow the "arc" of the handle of the Big Dipper  to find Arcturus.  

By the 16th of Dec, it should be in the west right after sunset and near Venus (a bright planet) in the southwest.

[RobertH]

Right at the moment, it is a early (3:30AM) morning object and rises in the east.  It's "near" Arcturus  which is a fairly bright star -- follow the "arc" of the handle of the Big Dipper  to find Arcturus.  

By the 16th of Dec, it should be in the west right after sunset and near Venus (a bright planet) in the southwest.

I've not seen it - what's the magnitude?  Telescope, binocular, or  naked eye ...

[CheyenneWills]

I went down to Neva Access road early this morning (~3 ish).  I was wrong on the current rise time.. it was more like 1:30AM .. but anyway .. I could not see it naked eye, but I was able to get some images with just my DSLR with a "normal" lens and tripod.  It's still really faint even in the camera.  I'm not sure if it's visible in binoculars (probably if you have a good enough pair with a steady mount)

When I got back to JT, I did notice that area it's in was high enough above the horizon that it could possible be "viewed" from spots in town that have a good eastern view (the west end of the big park maybe).  

It's currently moving "east" so it will be rising later each day.  It looks like around Dec 12th it's going to be too close to the sun to visible then around the 13, or 14th it looks like it's going to be in the very early evening (*just* after sunset).  By the 17th it will be fairly "close" to were Venus is.

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Info from NPR on the comet -> https://www.npr.org/2021/12/03/106088104...-to-see-it

[Scott Allen]

I was out about 5:30 this morning and believe I saw it through binoculars as a smudge. Hopefully it will brighten.