<p>No, at its brightest in June 2021, 2021 LD6 [<a href="https://minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=K21L06D" rel="noreferrer">MPC</a>, <a href="https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=K21L06D" rel="noreferrer">JPL</a>] was apparent magnitude 20-21, well beyond the reach of most amateur telescopes.
At absolute magnitude H=27.3, it's not very large, and at 10.5 times the lunar distance, it wasn't very close.</p>
<p>Gideon van Buitenen keeps a <a href="http://astro.vanbuitenen.nl/brightneos" rel="noreferrer">list of near-Earth objects </a> (NEOs) which will appear brighter than magnitude 14 sometime in the next 12 months.
Naked-eye NEOs are quite rare.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-29T17:42:38.610Z
@RobAdams For reference, in excellent conditions with good eyesight you might be able to see objects with apparent magnitudes of ~8 . Each point on the scale translates to a 2.5 change in brightness meaning that at app. mag.  21 the object is ~159,000 times less bright than the dimmest objects you can possibly see. so it's not even close.
eps
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-29T18:14:34.430Z
@eps Magnitude 6 is a more realistic naked-eye limit.
Mike G
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-29T20:23:50.767Z
yep, for sure -- most people don't have perfect eyesight observing the sky on a moonless night in the middle of absolute nowhere. I first wrote 6-8 but just decided to go with the best case scenario for simplicity.  Even 6 is probably not possible if you are in the limits of a big city.
eps
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-29T04:30:03.020Z
2021-06-29T04:30:03.020Z
Mike G
<p>There's a lot of hoopla online about asteroid 2021 LD6's  close approach to Earth. Will be close enough and large enough to be seen with the naked eye?</p>
<p>PS: More on the object:  <a href="https://minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=K21L06D" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MPC</a> or <a href="https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=K21L06D" rel="nofollow noreferrer">JPL</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-29T08:10:42.627Z
Welcome to astronomy SE. Would be great if you could specify the "hoopla"...
B--rian
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-29T22:01:29.120Z
By "hoopla" I mean "media attention." Sounds like it's overblown, like many things.
Rob Adams
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-30T08:56:35.430Z
I understood that you are talking about media attention, but the point is that I do not find much media attention on the web, that's why I would appreciate a link or two.
B--rian
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-30T08:57:17.567Z
@uhoh Have you heard about it in non-nerd media?
B--rian
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-30T13:42:30.370Z
@B--rian There was a Jun 14 tweet prematurely noting a possible impact 58 years later. I'd rather not boost it.
Mike G
<amateur-observing><asteroids><naked-eye>
Will Asteroid (2021 LD6) be visible to the naked eye?
Rob Adams
# Will Asteroid (2021 LD6) be visible to the naked eye?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-06-29)

There's a lot of hoopla online about asteroid 2021 LD6's close approach to Earth. Will be close enough and large enough to be seen with the naked eye?

PS: More on the object: [MPC](https://minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=K21L06D) or [JPL](https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=K21L06D)

**Tags:** amateur-observing, asteroids, naked-eye
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Welcome to astronomy SE. Would be great if you could specify the "hoopla"...  
> **username_0**: By "hoopla" I mean "media attention." Sounds like it's overblown, like many things.  
> **username_1**: I understood that you are talking about media attention, but the point is that I do not find much media attention on the web, that's why I would appreciate a link or two.  
> **username_1**: @uhoh Have you heard about it in non-nerd media?  
> **username_2**: @B--rian There was a Jun 14 tweet prematurely noting a possible impact 58 years later. I'd rather not boost it.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-06-29. Score: 12 | Accepted answer

No, at its brightest in June 2021, 2021 LD6 [[MPC](https://minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=K21L06D), [JPL](https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=K21L06D)] was apparent magnitude 20-21, well beyond the reach of most amateur telescopes.
At absolute magnitude H=27.3, it's not very large, and at 10.5 times the lunar distance, it wasn't very close.

Gideon van Buitenen keeps a [list of near-Earth objects](http://astro.vanbuitenen.nl/brightneos)  (NEOs) which will appear brighter than magnitude 14 sometime in the next 12 months.
Naked-eye NEOs are quite rare.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: @RobAdams For reference, in excellent conditions with good eyesight you might be able to see objects with apparent magnitudes of ~8 . Each point on the scale translates to a 2.5 change in brightness meaning that at app. mag.  21 the object is ~159,000 times less bright than the dimmest objects you can possibly see. so it's not even close.  
> **username_2**: @eps Magnitude 6 is a more realistic naked-eye limit.  
> **username_3**: yep, for sure -- most people don't have perfect eyesight observing the sky on a moonless night in the middle of absolute nowhere. I first wrote 6-8 but just decided to go with the best case scenario for simplicity.  Even 6 is probably not possible if you are in the limits of a big city.  

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