Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks also called the Devil’s Comet. Photo taken from Moclinejo, Málaga, Andalusia, … [+]
Have you seen the comet? Visible right now after sunset in the southwest, comet Pons-Brooks—also known as 12P/Pons-Brooks—is about to reach its brightest and best – but it won’t last long.
In fact, if you want to see it, you’d better get looking as soon as you can because the ball of rock and ice is about to depart from the northern sky.
‘Devil Comet’
Arriving in the wake of comet 2022 E3 (ZTF)—the so-called “green comet”—and 2020’s comet NEOWISE, it had been hoped that Pons-Brooks would be something of a “comet of the decade” and possibly be seen during totality at the recent total solar eclipse.
That would have required an unpredictable outburst in brightness, something it had been observed to do back in July 2023 when its nucleus unexpectedly brightened, and the halo of material around it expanded to possibly block some of it from view, causing a weird horned shape and earning it the nickname “devil comet.”
How to find the comet during its perihelion this Sunday, April 21, 2024.
Post-Sunset Target
However, despite not becoming a naked-eye object, the comet makes a lovely target for anyone with binoculars. What’s more, it’s visible immediately after sunset in the southwest.
Comet Pons-Brooks is not particularly easy to find. This weekend, it reaches its perihelion—the closest it gets to the sun—causing it to look as bright as it will get. It will then make its closest approach to Earth on June 2.
However, since it’s sinking lower towards the western horizon in the post-sunset night sky, it’s best to glimpse it before it’s too late.
Gianluca Masi’s images of comet 12P/Pons-Brooks from the Virtual Telescope Project facility in … [+]
How To Find The Comet
You’ll need a clear sky, a view low to the west and a pair of binoculars. It’s in the constellation Aries.
Go outside about 30 minutes after sunset and look for bright Jupiter. Once the giant planet is bright enough to easily see, it’s a good time to look for the comet. The giant V-shape of Taurus above will be helpful since it acts almost as an arrow pointing to the rough location of the comet.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
Dr. Thomas Hughes is a UK-based scientist and science communicator who makes complex topics accessible to readers. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
