A BC Photographer Captured 2021's Brightest Comet & Here's How You Can See It Again Next Week

Leonard is a newly-discovered comet and it's coming close enough to Earth that you can see it this December.

A Vancouver photographer already spotted the super bright comet, which is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The local astronomer and photographer said in his Instagram post that he woke up bright and early to get the incredible image of the comet.

His caption said that he set his alarm for 4 a.m. local time and was lucky to get a glimpse of the comet soaring through the sky.

"I’d love to get another shot at this comet, but with the weather, this may be the one," he wrote.

He has a good point, with the Vancouver clouds it might be tricky to see the comet.

Where To See It

Ed Krupp, an astronomer and the director of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, told NPR that "the comet is in the early morning sky right at the moment, and that means getting up very early, probably around 5 a.m. or so and looking more or less to the northeast."

If you aren't a morning person though, the comet is going to be more clear in the evenings towards the end of the month.

If you want to catch the comet with just your eyes, then "you will need to be in a dark environment, far from the city," said Krupp.

The best way to see the night sky is to get away from the city, which has light pollution preventing you from seeing the incredible stars and the comet too.

In Vancouver, try to drive out to Cypress Provincial Park in West Vancouver or even Porteau Cove.

What Day To See It

Although the photographer captured the comet pretty early, a good day to see it was the morning of December 6.

You can still see it now though, but you may need binoculars or a telescope.

The next best day to see it now is going to be December 17, in the evening.

Go out at night and "look for the planet Venus to the southwest. The planet is the brightest object in the sky after the sun and moon. The comet will be between Venus and the horizon," said NPR.

After this, the comet will sadly move on from the Northern Hemisphere most likely.

According to NPR, the last people to have seen this comet were "our distant ancestors — both Neanderthal and Homo sapiens."

There will be no one next after us either since the comet is predicted to leave our solar system after this.

Make sure to get out and see it while you can!