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This comet is approaching perihelion, closest approach to the Sun in early January. It has just passed perigee, closest approach to the Earth on Dec 12.
When the comet possibly becomes visible in the next few days, it will be battling for visibility against low altitude extinction, twilight and the full Moon.
As it climbs higher, the comet fades as it recedes from the Earth. There is a possibility that if all the variable factors go our way, it might be a reasonable naked eye object in the evening sky. NO PROMISES. But if you don't try, you don't know. The comet will be relatively easy to locate due to its proximity to Venus, Jupiter and Saturn but probably difficult to detect due to competition from twilight and the Moon. Like many diagrams, this one I have prepared, makes the comet look huge and impressive. It is more likely to be small and compact, any extended tail structure almost certainly lost in twilight. Certainly worth a try. Just in case.
The path of the comet between Dec 16th and Dec 27th, 2021
Joe
Amateur astronomer since 1978...................Web site :http://joe-cali.com/ Scopes: ATM 18" Dob, Vixen VC200L, ATM 6"f7, Stellarvue 102ED, Saxon ED80, WO M70 ED, Orion 102 Maksutov, ST80. Mounts: Takahashi EM-200, iOptron iEQ45, Push dobsonian with Nexus DSC, three homemade EQ's. Eyepieces: TV Naglers 31, 17, 12, 7; Denkmeier D21 & D14; Pentax XW10, XW5, Unitron 40mm Kellner, Meade Or 25,12 Cameras : Pentax K1, K5, K01, K10D / VIDEO CAMS : TacosBD, Lihmsec. Cam/guider/controllers: Lacerta MGEN 3, SW Synguider, Simulation Curriculum SkyFi 3+Sky safari Memberships Astronomical Association of Queensland; RASNZ Occultations Section; Single Exposure Milky Way Facebook Group (Moderator) (12k members), The Sky Searchers (moderator)
