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Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, as its scientific name is called, appears in the vicinity of Earth every seventy years.
It’s not as spectacular as Hale-Bopp’s Comet, which lit up the sky for several months in 1997, but it’s sure to surprise. The “Devil’s Comet”, also called 12P/Pons-Brooks, appears in our latitudes in early spring. Franceinfo presents this distant visitor that we only see every seventy years. This icy ball, which like all comets is a remnant of our solar system, should be easily observable with ordinary binoculars from March 28 and into mid-April.
It was discovered by a French
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks was discovered by Jean-Louis Pons in 1812 at the Marseille Observatory. The man who was hired as a janitor at the institute became an astronomer, then deputy director of the institute. Internationally recognized, Jean-Louis Pons was one of the most prolific comet discoverers in history.
Above all, the object observed by Jean-Louis Pons in 1812 was independently discovered by the American William Brooks in 1883, seventy years later. He then took the names of its two discoverers, even though, in fact, the first signs of observation of this “devil’s comet” date back to the 14th century, in China and Japan.
It has a larger than average core
Comets have an average diameter of 10 km. According to recent estimates, 12P/Pons-Brooks measures 30 km, notes Nicolas Biver, an astronomer at the Paris Observatory and president of the Comet Commission of the French Astronomical Society. Thirty kilometers is also twice that of Halley’s famous comet, he points out.
“It must be one of the ten largest comets currently known.”
Nicholas Beaver, astronomerat franceinfo
tail of a comet “not hyperextended” But still occurs in about 50 million kilometers, ie. “one-third the distance from the Earth to the Sun”notes Nicholas Beaver.
She owes her nickname to the two horns
The Devil’s Comet is known for its explosions. It is in fact a scene of explosions, causing its brightness to change significantly, Or change the shape of his “hair”. This is what happened in late 2023 when she found herself with two streaks or strands. Some people thought they saw two horns, which earned it the nickname “Devil’s Comet”. But the sensibility is different and some have instead identified the silhouette of the Millennium Falcon, the famous ship of the saga. Star Wars.
What causes these explosions? “We never really know. It’s specific to each comet. It has to do with their unique characteristicsNicholas Beaver answers. We should go there and see.” “However, we have hypotheseshe says. Are snow-rich areas periodically exposed to more sun, causing this dust to fly? This happens almost every fortnight.. Or is it related to the shape of the nucleus? If it is perfectly round, nothing special happens. If it has a very uneven shape, it is possible that pieces will break off, causing these bursts of light.”
She has green hair
In addition to pareidolia, i.e. what the comet’s shape can evoke, 12P/Pons-Brooks delights photographers who examine its green color.
“It is something known, which is connected with the presence of certain compounds in cometary atmospheres, especially dicarbon.Introducing Nicholas Beaver. It’s not really a molecule: it’s already broken up by solar radiation.” An element is created during this process “which probably comes from acetylene”. But the latter is green. “This is what we see when we weld with acetylene”Underlines the astronomer.
He appears next to Jupiter
After a window of visibility in early March, Devil’s Comet should be easily observable again through March 28 and mid-April, according to Nicholas Beaver. To put all the chances on your side, go to a place away from cities, away from light pollution. Clear skies are clearly a must.
“You need a very clear west/northwest horizon”, because at night, the comet should not be too high in the sky, Nicolas Wieber insists. To see it, you first have to find Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system easily visible to the naked eye. Then the comet will be right next to Jupiter. Point your hand at this planet with your hand outstretched, then close your hand: the comet should be a fistful away from Jupiter, to the right.
“With binoculars – 5 cm diameter glasses required – you will be able to see a small spot and perhaps a fragment of the comet’s tail”, assures the astronomer. Then, from April 21, the Devil’s Comet will move towards the Southern Hemisphere. After that, we have to wait until the year 2095 to see it again.
