Devil's Comet will be visible to the naked eye in the coming weeks

Comet “Satan”. The size of Mount Everest Which will make its first visit to the inner solar system in more than 70 years and will be visible to the naked eye in a few weeks. The object, known as 12P/Pons-Brooks, is shown Horny appearance Hence its name, it will reach its closest point to the sun on April 21, the date on which it will reach its brightest point.

For those who live in the Northern Hemisphere, it is likely that Halley's Comet It reaches its best visibility between now and mid-April, although it won't be the easiest to spot. In addition, experts warn that this phenomenon is unlikely to appear in everyone.

As Dr. Robert Massey, deputy executive director of Britain's Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), explains in a statement, this is something that can be seen with the naked eye. “If you don't have a moon in the sky, If there is no light pollution And if the sky is really clear. Even if the characteristics are met, most citizens will have to use a pair of binoculars to see it.

The expert stresses that stargazers should do so Look to the west and northwest After sunset to catch a glimpse of Ponce Brookes, which completes its orbit once every 71.3 years and will therefore not be visible again until 2095.

he frozen body, The nucleus, which is believed to have a diameter of about 34 kilometers, has been recognized as a comet and, in fact, is named after the French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons, who discovered it in the early 19th century, and the British-American astronomer William. Robert Brooks, who observed it on its next orbit in 1883.

The comet displays some unusual features. First, photographs taken during its approach captured the comet's strange green color. “This is because it contains a molecule called a two-carbon,” says Dr. Massey. “What it does is absorb sunlight and re-radiate part of it in the characteristic green color.”

Another trait that has caught the attention of observers around the world is its sometimes horned appearance, making it Pons Brooks earned the nickname “The Devil's Comet.”

The reason behind the appearance of these pointed horny shapes is the frozen body It is classified as a cold volcanic comet. That is, it regularly erupts with dust, gases, and ice when the pressure inside it increases with its temperature.