Sky-High Extra

Comet C/2021 A1 Leonard

7 Dec 2021: This moderately bright comet is now a nice object in binoculars from a reasonably dark sky. A small telescope is better from suburban areas. I made it 7th mag last night from a suburban sky.

However, it is rapidly moving south and by 12 December it is only 5.3° high at the start of Nautical Twilight (Dublin; at 05.57 UT). On the morning of 9th December it lies 9° above (or NNE) 2.6 mag star Alpha Serpentis. So catch it while you can.

Chang'e 5 back on Earth

Chang'e 5 return capsule soft landed in Inner Mongolia, China on 16th December 2020. The was the first return of lunar samples since the Luna 24 mission in 1976.

Useful Websites & Resources

British Astronomical Association publisher of the BAA Handbook
DIAS with details of the public nights at Dunsink Obs.
Guide 9.1
AAVSO with VSP for plotting charts
BAA V.S.S.
BAA Comet Visual Section
IMO Meteors
NASA Eclipse by F. Espenak
Irish Star Parties astronomy weekends

by J.O'Neill (Sky-High Editor)

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