A BRIGHT green comet will blaze across the night sky this month – and you can see it if you know where to look.
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks has been branded the “devil” comet after being pictured in 2023 with a pair of “horns”.
The comet has previously been pictured with ‘devil horns’[/caption]
The comet is just over 10 miles wide and orbits the Sun every 71.32 years.
It’s known for its flare-ups, which scientists have linked to “cryovolcanism” – meaning it may be one of a handful of comets with active ice volcanoes.
These flare-ups may release a “cryomagma”, which is a cold blend of gas and hydrocarbons.
And you’ll be able to see the “exploding” comet in the night sky until the end of the month.
Scientists believe that Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks was observed as far back as 1385 in China and 1457 in Italy.
But it was formally discovered on July 12, 1812 by French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons.
It was then later re-discovered by British-born American astronomer William Robert Brooks on September 2, 1883.
Pons and Brooks were legendary and prolific comet hunters who found dozens during their careers.
It’s currently visible near the Andromeda galaxy (our closest galactic neighbor) in a very rare conjunction.
HOW TO SEE COMET 12P/PONS-BROOKS
The comet can be seen in the early evening right through all through March.
Towards the end of the month, the comet is expected to be bright enough to be visible with the naked eye.
But astronomers recommend using binoculars or even a small telescope to get the best view of the comet – especially earlier in the month.
You’ll be able to see it just above the horizon looking to the west-northwest.
If you can locate the Great Square of Pegasus, the comet can be found just north – look to the upper-left of the square.
And it’s important not to miss it, as it’ll take another 71 years to come back around.
Astronomers suspect that you’ll be able to see it again in mid-2095.
If you’re struggling to spot it, one of the best tricks is to simply use an app like Night Sky on iPhone.
This lets you use your phone to precisely locate almost any astronomical object in real-time.
What's the difference between an asteroid, meteor and comet?
Here's what you need to know, according to Nasa…
- Asteroid: An asteroid is a small rocky body that orbits the Sun. Most are found in the asteroid belt (between Mars and Jupiter) but they can be found anywhere (including in a path that can impact Earth)
- Meteoroid: When two asteroids hit each other, the small chunks that break off are called meteoroids
- Meteor: If a meteoroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere, it begins to vapourise and then becomes a meteor. On Earth, it’ll look like a streak of light in the sky, because the rock is burning up
- Meteorite: If a meteoroid doesn’t vapourise completely and survives the trip through Earth’s atmosphere, it can land on the Earth. At that point, it becomes a meteorite
- Comet: Like asteroids, a comet orbits the Sun. However rather than being made mostly of rock, a comet contains lots of ice and gas, which can result in amazing tails forming behind them (thanks to the ice and dust vaporizing)
