A comet larger than Mount Everest could be visible to the naked eye in the coming weeks, according to astronomers. Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, as the body is called, is a Halley-type comet, points out The Guardian server. That means it will appear once or maybe twice in a lifetime.
12P/Pons-Brooks completes its orbit once every 71.3 years. The comet will reach the so-called perihelion – i.e. closest to the Sun – on April 21. It is thought to have a core about 30 kilometers in diameter. In addition, the body is classified as a cryovolcanic comet, which means that dust, gases and ice erupt when heated inside. One such explosion in last year causing it to brighten a hundredfold, earning it the nickname “Devil’s Comet” after the mist surrounding it formed a horned shape.
According to astronomers, the comet is also a great opportunity for amateur photographers. For a quality capture, they need an area outside the cities with dark skies, an unobstructed view from west to northwest and a tripod. It should be very clear on March 8 and 22, an extremely attractive opportunity for astrophotographers will then be the passage of the comet near the Moon and the planets Jupiter and Uranus, which will be visible on April 10 in the evening hours, it stands at website Institute of Physics of the University of Silesia in Opava.
According to some reports, 12P/Pons-Brooks was spotted as early as 14th century, however, is named after the French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons – who discovered it in 1812 – and the British-American astronomer William Robert Brooks. He observed it during its next orbit in 1883.
2024-03-11 20:30:00
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