This “devil comet” will be visible to the naked eye in the coming days

Until the beginning of April you have the opportunity to observe an extraordinary celestial phenomenon – with binoculars, a telescope or even with the naked eye.

The phenomenon appears in the form of comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, which visits the inner solar system for the first time in 71 years. It is best known for its shimmering green bursts of brightness.

Comets are mainly composed of water, gases and dust. That is why the heavenly bodies are also called ‘dirty snowballs’. The comet 12P/Pons-Brooks also has a nickname: Devil’s Comet because of the formation of two horns made of ice and gas. It is expected that the Devill Comet will be brightest during the total solar eclipse on April 8.

However, the best time of observation is NOW!

To see the shimmering green spot of light, look west or northwest after sunset, when the sky is not yet completely dark, according to the astronomy smartphone app Star Walk. So it is best to do this between 7:30 PM and 8:00 PM. The condition for seeing the comet with the naked eye is a clear sky and a dark environment. An astronomy app helps to find the comet more easily. Jupiter can also serve as a guide because it is within a finger’s width of the comet.

The Devil’s Comet will continue to approach Earth in the coming weeks. On June 2, the closest approach to Earth will be about 230 million kilometers, writes “MeteoNews”. But then the comet would only be visible from the southern hemisphere.

The comet travels through the constellations Andromeda, Pisces and Aries. A simulation of the track can be found here.

12P/Pons-Brooks was discovered in 1812 by the French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons. It was accidentally rediscovered 70 years later by the astronomer William Robert Brooks. This is where the name of the comet Pons-Brooks comes from.

(cst)