Devil's Comet Bigger Than Everest Could Become Visible To The Naked Eye This Month

A 'Devil's comet' that is larger than Mount Everest could become visible to the naked eye as it passes by the planet in the coming weeks, the Guardian reported. The comet, named 12P/Pons-Brooks, is a cryovolcanic - or cold volcano - comet, according to Live Science. The city-sized comet measures a colossal 30 kilometres in diameter and orbits the sun in a highly elliptical pattern approximately every 71 years.

''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,'' said Dr Paul Strom, an astrophysicist at the University of Warwick.

''The comet moves from the constellation of Andromeda to Pisces. As it does so it passes by bright stars which will make it easier to spot on certain dates. In particular, on 31 March 12P/Pons-Brooks will be only 0.5 a degree from the bright star called Hamal,'' he said.

The comet has already been spotted in the night sky and experts say it is expected to become even brighter in the coming weeks. It is expected to reach its maximum brightness during April and is expected to make its closest approach to the Sun on April 21.

Comet Pons-Brooks in Northern Spring

As spring approaches for northern skygazers, Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is growing brighter. Currently visible with small telescopes and binoculars, the Halley-type comet could reach naked eye visibility in the coming weeks. Seen despite a foggy… pic.twitter.com/4EnghTiAbJ

— Astronomy Picture Of the Day (@apod) March 10, 2024

The comet occasionally erupts when radiation from the sun cracks open its icy shell, allowing it to shoot cryomagma--a combination of ice and gas-- into space. The comet's coma, the cloud of gas and dust enveloping its core, intensifies following these eruptions, lending the comet a noticeably brighter appearance for several days. 

However, Dr Robert Massey, the deputy executive director of the Royal Astronomical Society, said that the comet might be a little difficult to spot, and asked stargazers to use small telescopes

''If you have a half-decent pair of binoculars, certainly attempt to look for it with those,'' advised Mr Massey.

Notably, the Halley-type periodic comet was first discovered by Jean-Louis Pons on July 12, 1812, and then independently rediscovered by William Robert Brooks in 1883.

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