Where to see 12P/Pons-Brooks in the night sky (Picture: Getty)
The sky is alight with a comet that only visits every 70 years.
The so-called ‘devil comet’, officially known as 12P/Pons-Brooks, is back in our neighbourhood and you’ll be able to see with your own eyes at the end of this month.
Often giving off a green sheen, this (mostly) once-a-lifetime visitor will reach its peak visibility to the naked eye on March 31 – if you’re lucky with clear sky conditions.
It will reach its closest point to the Sun on April 21, before whizzing back out into the solar system to start its orbit again.
But until the end of March, the comet will be visible in the early evening sky, moving from the constellation of Andromeda, to Pisces, to Aries.
‘Right now, one of the brightest known periodic comets is on its way towards the Sun,’ said astrophysicist Dr Paul Strøm, from the University of Warwick.
Josh Dury, 26, shot 12P/Pons–Brooks on March 6 – and also managed to get the Andromeda galaxy in the frame (Picture: Josh Dury/SWNS)
‘The comet is expected to reach a magnitude of 4.5 which means it ought to be visible from a dark location in the UK.’
Stars classed as the sixth magnitude or above (up to first magnitude) are visible to the human eye without the use of a telescope.
‘The comet moves from the constellation of Andromeda to Pisces,’ said Dr Strøm. ‘As it does so it passes by bright stars, which will make it easier to spot on certain dates. In particular, on March 31, 12P/Pons–Brooks will be only 0.5 a degree from the bright star called Hamal.’
Hamal is just 10 degrees above the west-northwestern horizon – a star chart or app will be able to you find it.
But if you can’t wait until then, you could always try spotting it now using a pair of binoculars or a telescope.
12P/Pons-Brooks is a cold volcano – or cryovolcanic – comet, and as it gets closer to the Sun and heats up, pressure mounts and eruptions can occur.
The eruptions can be violent, and create a haze, or coma, around the comet, which reflects sunlight. In this case, it has given the comet the appearance of horns after each eruption.
Devil comet: the lowdown
It is a cryovolcanic, or ice volcano, comet so it occasionally erupts and shoots out a combination of ice and gas making it seem brighter
The comet looks green due to its high levels of dicarbon, two carbon atoms stuck together, in its coma and tail
The comet was first discovered by Jean-Louis Pons, who noted it on July 12, 1812, and described it as a ‘shapeless object with no apparent tail’. As it came closer and closer however, he noticed the comet had a split tail, and calculated it would circle the sun every 65-75 years.
Then, in 1883, the comet was spotted again by William Brooks who only realised it was the same comet once the orbital calculations were made.
‘This is not the first time the comet has visited our solar system given its period of 71 years,’ said Dr Strøm.
‘Although it was first discovered in 1812 it may have been recorded as early as 1385! The next visit will not be until 2095, so now is a good time to try and see it!’