During the night of this Friday (12/24), the day before the Natal, the comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard) can be seen in the Federal District sky. Astrophotographer Leo Caldas recorded the images with photos and video.
Hair profile not Instagram, photography and astronomy, Caldas celebrated the act. “It’s a present on Christmas Eve!!! Finally, the sky cleared in Brasília and I managed to register the beautiful comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard)”, he pointed out.
Comet is seen in Brasilia sky on Christmas EveLeo Caldas / Personal archive
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Comet not Natal–
At the time of registration, a plane was flying over the DFLeo Caldas / Personal archive
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Comet not Natal–
The comet gets brighter as it gets closer to the SunLeo Caldas / Personal archive
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Comet not Natal–
The images were captured by astrophotographer Leo CaldasLeo Caldas / Personal archive
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To register, around 20:30, Caldas took 150 photos and then used the stacking technique to compose the image.
Soon after, he noticed the approach of a plane. So he decided to film. And image was also sharp. The aircraft “passed over the tail” of the comet.
In the sky
According to the astrophotographer, the comet was very low on the horizon and light pollution interfered. But the open sky was providential. Caldas expects to make new C/2021 A1 registrations in the coming days.
“We are not talking about the passage of the comet. The orbits of comets resemble those of planets. Every day moves in the sky, but it is little. I was able to visualize, register, photograph. It’s already there and will be again,” he said.
See the comet:
Leonard was discovered in January 2021. Each comet travels in a different orbit around the Sun. Some are shorter, while others are longer. In the case of C/2021 A1 it is 80 thousand years old.
heavenly brightness
“But now it is getting brighter, because it is getting closer to the Sun. In early January 2022, it will reach perihelion, the closest point,” explained Caldas.
In addition to the visual spectacle, this type of observation is important for the safety of the planet. The record could spot a star on a collision course with Earth. And this information is crucial for defining countermeasures.
Caldas is a professor at the Department of Education and lives in Águas Claras, where he even made the arrests. Since childhood, he loves astronomy and began recording images of celestial objects approximately 10 years ago.
See the photographer’s post:
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