United States – Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, passing near Earth, is now visible in the night sky in the Northern Hemisphere, and may make a rare appearance during the total eclipse on April 8.
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, or 12P for short, can currently be seen in the night sky with the naked eye in the west about an hour after sunset.
Comets are made of dust, rocks and ice, and they heat up and expel gases when their orbits bring them close to the sun, creating a glowing halo around the comet itself known as the coma.
The explosions observed from Comet 12P gave it a horn-like appearance, earning it the nickname “Devil’s Comet.”
This comet visits the inner solar system every 71 years. It will reach its closest point to the sun on April 21, passing at a distance of 119.7 million km (74.4 million miles) from our star. This means that the comet will be fairly close to the sun during the total eclipse on April 8, which is scheduled to pass over Mexico, 15 US states and Canada, according to EarthSky.org.
EarthSky.org noted: “During a total eclipse, when the sky darkens, you will see the brightest planet Venus appear on one side of the sun, and on the other side of the sun, you will find the second brightest planet, Jupiter. “If Comet 12P is bright enough, you will see it between Jupiter and the Sun, but closer to Jupiter.”
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, casting its shadow on the surface of our planet. For those in the path of totality, the Moon appears to be about the same size as the Sun, so it obscures the entire disk for a few minutes, meaning the comet may be barely visible with the naked eye, or at least using binoculars.
The visibility of Comet 12P during the eclipse will ultimately depend on its brightness that day. If the comet had one of its dramatic outbursts, that would increase the size of its halo and make it appear brighter.
Source: Space
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2024-04-05 15:00:48