What is the “devil” comet that passes near the Earth like and where can it be seen?

2024-03-13 00:45:00
Comet 12P and the Andromeda galaxy cross paths in a unique astronomical event (Petr Horálek-Institute of Physics in Opava /APOD NASA)

An explosive greenish comet, known as 12P/Pons Brooks (12P), is currently making its way toward Earth, passing through the nearby Andromeda Galaxy in the night sky, offering a unique opportunity to capture stunning photographs.

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Recognized as the “devil comet” or “horned comet,” it has imposing dimensions, with a width of around 17 kilometers (10.5 miles), and orbits the Sun in an extremely elliptical path that takes it to pass close to our planet approximately every 71 years.

12P is classified as a cryovolcanic comet, which means that it sometimes erupts when solar radiation penetrates its icy shell, expelling a mixture of ice and gas, called cryomagma, into space. This phenomenon causes a significant expansion of the comet’s coma, the cloud of gas and dust surrounding its nucleus, making it much brighter over a period of time.

In the place “Astronomy Picture of the Day” from NASA explained regarding this comet: “Comet Pons-Brooks periodically visits the inner Solar System and is less than 14 light minutes away. This comet, which will reach perihelion on April 21, should be visible in the sky during the total solar eclipse on April 8.”

This comment may have cryovolcanic eruptions in some cases 12P/Pons-Brooks

“As spring approaches for northern sky watchers, comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is getting brighter. Currently visible with small telescopes and binoculars, Halley’s Comet might reach naked-eye visibility in the coming weeks,” they added.

In July 2023, astronomers witnessed a 12P eruption, the first in nearly 70 years, and it has continued to erupt with some frequency since then. During the first eruptions, the comet’s expanded coma had an uneven shape, giving it the appearance of having “demonic horns,” an impressive sight for observers. However, in more recent eruptions, these horns have mysteriously disappeared. In addition, recent observations have revealed that the comet has acquired a greenish hue, a result of the presence of high levels of dicarbon in its coma and tail, a quite unusual phenomenon in this type of celestial bodies.

12P is anticipated to make its closest approach to Earth on June 2, following completing its orbit around the Sun in late April. Once it has passed close to our planet, it will continue its journey back toward the outer regions of the solar system, where it will remain for most of the next 70 years.

Comets are space bodies that have ice and dust in their composition, among other things / NASA

As the comet moves further into the solar system, it is currently in the same region of the night sky as the Andromeda galaxy, a stunning spiral galaxy located regarding 2.5 million light-years away from the Milky Way. This galaxy is destined to collide with our own in approximately 4.5 billion years, a cosmic event of monumental proportions.

The conjunction between Comet 12P and the Andromeda Galaxy is an extremely rare astronomical phenomenon, in which two objects appear close in the sky despite being separated by vast distances. The Virtual Telescope project was able to observe this cosmic spectacle in real time via live feeds from the project’s observatory in Manciano, Italy. These broadcasts will be available from 2:30 pm ET on Sunday (March 10) and Tuesday (March 12), offering a unique opportunity to witness this celestial event.

A postcard of Comet Nishimura, another of the bodies previously observed (Getty)

Although Andromeda can be observed with the naked eye in clear skies, detecting 12P requires a good telescope, a camera or a decent pair of binoculars, since it is located approximately 10 degrees below the galaxy.

This encounter between comet 12P and cosmic structures is not something new; In January, the comet passed in front of the Crescent Nebula, a vast cloud of ionized red gas located 5,000 light-years away from Earth, offering another opportunity to capture stunning images of this celestial phenomenon.

Astrophotographers are also anticipating the next total solar eclipse, scheduled for April 8, during which comet 12P will be located very close to the temporarily obscured Sun. If the comet erupts in the days before the eclipse, it may be visible to the naked eye during totality, providing another exciting event for astronomy and cosmic photography enthusiasts.

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