Comet Leonard C/2021 A1 passing M3
Comet and Stars Combined
Comet-tracked version showing the Comet’s movement of 0.32 degrees across the 2 hours and 47 minutes of total imaging (a mistake in the photo capture plan resulted in only 1 hour and 38 minutes of capture)
Image Details:
Comet Leonard, discovered in January 2021 by G. J. Leonard at the Mount Lemmon Observatory, passes near the M3 Globular Star Cluster (distance: 34,000 l.y.). Had the comet been above the horizon a few hours earlier from my position on the planet I would have been able to capture its tail passing right “over” M3, which was successfully captured by many astrophotographers in Europe and Asia. Comet Leonard was calculated to have an ~80,000 year orbit, but changes in its motion due to the gravitational influence of the Sun and planets as it approached its closest point to the Sun indicated it will be kicked out of the solar system.
Equipment:
William Optics Star71-II Petzval APO (345mm Focal Length, F/4.9)
ZWO ASI1600MM-P, ZWO Filters
Hypertuned Celestron CGEM-II
Autoguiding: Orion 50mm Guidescope + ZWO ASI224MC
Exposures:
Red, Green, Blue: 34, 32, 32 x 60” (Total: 1h 38m)
Misc Details:
Capture Software: AstrophotographyTool, PHD2 (guiding), Celestron CPWI (mount control), Pegasus Powerbox (dew heater control, power management)
Processing Software: PixInsight
Taken from: Wichita, KS, Bortle 5
Capture Dates: 3 December, 2021