Everest-sized ‘Devil comet’ Pons-Brooks Visible Now

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks was first discovered by Frenchman Jean-Louis Pons in 1812 , since then astronomers have observed it every 71 years , now 71 years since its last orbit of the Sun we get to see it again , Pons-Brooks will be visible in the night sky until 21st April but will be at its brightest on 31st March .... Easter Sunday , read into that what you will.

Towards the end of the month, Comet Pons-Brooks will move along the line of brighter stars in Aries, approximately in the direction of Jupiter. It may brighten towards the end of the month, reaching naked-eye visibility if you find a dark spot on a clear enough night.

“In particular, on the 31 March 12P/Pons–Brooks will be only 0.5 degrees from the bright star called Hamal, equivalent to a full moon diameter away,” which should make it easier to spot, Strøm says.

Why is it called a 'devil' comet?
Pons-Brooks is what’s known as a cryovolcanic comet, meaning that every so often it randomly erupts (like a volcano), spewing out dust, gas and ice into the surrounding space. When it did this last year, it instantaneously became 100 times brighter, with the outburst forming a devil-horned shape – hence the name.

The reason this bizarre eruption occurs is that as the comet gets closer to the Sun, it warms up, meaning that the icy material can vaporise and rupture out from beneath the surface as the pressure builds.

The gas then forms part of the bright coma, which is the halo of evaporated material that surrounds the solid nucleus.
www.sciencefocus.com...

Here's a time-lapse of the comet and an image of it with the Andromeda Galaxy.

Heading for its next perihelion passage on April 21, Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is growing brighter. The greenish coma of this periodic Halley-type comet has become relatively easy to observe in small telescopes. But the bluish ion tail now streaming from the active comet's coma and buffeted by the solar wind, is faint and difficult to follow. Still, in this image stacked exposures made on the night of February 11 reveal the fainter tail's detailed structures. The frame spans over two degrees across a background of faint stars and background galaxies toward the northern constellation Lacerta
apod.nasa.gov...

As usual, great post Gortex. I love be able to actually see it in the video. I hope I can see it.

been trying to catch it but the clouds just arent cooperating when I have time to look.

T Coronae Borealis, is apparently something else to see, though nobody knows when its going to blow, sometime between feb and sept for 3-5 days it will be seen with the naked eye supposedly.

a reply to: gortex

A comet for my grand daughters birthday the 31st and the eclipse
of 2017 on my wifes birthday. That's pretty cool.

a reply to: gortex

I know it is inconceivable even to most folks on ATS, but a correct view of comets is to visualize them as the UFOs of outer space.

As astronomers and astrophysicists have concealed for many decades what they know and have seen about the UFOs in our midst, the exact same can be said for comets if one were to study the data.

There are two kinds of comet classifications, those with a number and a letter "p" added to signify that they are periodic, short-period objects, and the big, brilliant ones are the long-period comets.

The short-period comets are or were originally placed in our system to do work. The long-period comets are newcomers, sometimes multi-members from the same star systems over the decades if not centuries.

In truth, they all can be rightfully called cometships

I love the definition of devil comet. Explaining electrical interactions away as ice melting and debris 😂

a reply to: gortex

a reply to: gortex

That will be worth losing the sleep to go camping somewhere cool and setup for the night watch like when we went to the observatory in my college days. It absolutely was worth my time to peer thru a 9 inch on Omen Drive atop a mtn outside of Nashville TN. Smallish but still very spectacular IMO to sit in the Cpts seat and get my turn.

originally posted by: Dalamax
I love the definition of devil comet. Explaining electrical interactions away as ice melting and debris 😂

a reply to: gortex

Typical, right? They'll do anything to give a nod to their beloved Baal.

a reply to: CosmicFocus

In truth, they all can be rightfully called cometships

Interesting.

Ships carrying what exactly?

And why go to that area?

originally posted by: SchrodingersRat
a reply to: CosmicFocus

In truth, they all can be rightfully called cometships

Interesting.

Ships carrying what exactly?

And why go to that area?

Ummm…DNA…genetic precursors…biogenesis…?



YouSir

Its been a Very Long Time since my Minor Of cosmology. Carl Segan taught 3 of my classes thats how old I am. Awsome post. How does it gassing effect its orbit, or since its closer to the sun when it happeneds does the suns gravitational pull keep it on the same orbit? Again great post much appreciated. a reply to: gortex

a reply to: SchrodingersRat

Ship usually carry occupants or materials.

...And "WHY?"

What is a human's favorite pastime even when cruising the internet?

Exploring, conquest, and occasionally, raping and pillaging.

originally posted by: CosmicFocus
a reply to: SchrodingersRat

Ship usually carry occupants or materials.

...And "WHY?"

What is a human's favorite pastime even when cruising the internet?

Exploring, conquest, and occasionally, raping and pillaging.

True.

I'm just struggling with the notion that it's a ship at all. There's no scientific reason to think so.

I guess it's just pure speculation for fun.

I'm down with that.

Bring it on!

Excellent content on this cool comet. I hope it becomes bright enough for all to see.
Thanks.

Some astronomers think it may be visible during upcoming solar eclipse, but only on the path of totality. If so, it will be about at most 25 degree off the horizon at that time.

this comet ..... and the April 8th eclipse path within the USA lower 48 States, 'signs & wonders in the heavens', wow

a reply to: gortex

Just caught it with my Celestron Binoculars!
It’s dark up here in Northern Ontario.
I’m in a very isolated city. Closest next major city is 9 hours away in another province.
So very minimal light pollution up here.

Looks like a faint greenish blue blob with a very dim star in it right now.

originally posted by: Macenroe82
a reply to: gortex

Just caught it with my Celestron Binoculars!
It’s dark up here in Northern Ontario.
I’m in a very isolated city. Closest next major city is 9 hours away in another province.
So very minimal light pollution up here.

Looks like a faint greenish blue blob with a very dim star in it right now.

Can you get any pictures?

I'd love to see it!

From Darwin, Australia

2 hours ago