The Devil’s Comet, known for its occasional explosions, is currently visible in the night sky, and fortunate observers may catch a glimpse of it during the eagerly awaited solar eclipse next month.
Comet 12P/Ponsbrooks earned the nickname “Devil’s Comet” after an eruption last year left behind two distinctive trails of gas and ice resembling devil’s horns.
From the Northern Hemisphere, the comet is currently visible with binoculars or telescopes. As it moves through the inner solar system and approaches its closest point to the sun in mid-April, it may become visible to the naked eye by the end of the month.
Comets typically consist of a core of dust, gas, and ice surrounded by a bright gas cloud called a coma. These objects are remnants from the formation of the solar system and can be several miles wide, according to NASA.
The core of a comet can heat up due to sunlight and solar radiation, sometimes leading to explosive events, as seen with Comet 12P/Ponsbrooks. Observers in the Northern Hemisphere can currently see the comet in the western-northwestern sky in the evening.
The comet is expected to brighten towards the end of the month and, under clear and dark conditions, may remain visible until early May. If the comet experiences significant flares in the coming weeks, it could be visible during the total solar eclipse on April 8 along the path stretching from northeast Texas to Maine.
Despite uncertainties surrounding rare synchronistic events, there is a good chance of spotting the comet on its own in the evening sky. Comet 12P/Pons-Brookes was first discovered in 1812 by French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons and later observed in 1883 by British-American astronomer William Brooks. Due to its 71-year orbit around the sun, sightings of this comet are infrequent.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
