We may have missed out on the total solar eclipse of 2024 in the southern hemisphere but that’s not the only celestial event gracing the skies this April. The spectacular Devil Comet is heading towards Earth later this month for the first time in 70 years. The comet is also known as the “Mother of Dragons” because it resembles a horned tail, but 12/P Pons-Brooks is its formal (and far less scary) name. It orbits the Sun once every 71.2 years which means this will be a once-in-a-lifetime event for viewers. It’s one of the brightest known periodic comets and is getting brighter as it approaches Earth this month according to NASA.
Devil Comet
The comet will be seen in Australian skies briefly in the early hours of Monday, April 22. If you needed a reason to stay up, this rare event, resulting from cryo-volcanic eruptions of ice, is comparable to the size of Mount Everest. According to Astronomy, its nucleus, or the chunk of ice and rock that constitutes the comet, is approximately 10.5 miles or 17 km across, which makes it bigger than Everest.
It got the moniker of “Devil Comet” in 2023 when an outburst of gas and dust caused it to become over 100 times brighter and develop a visible tail, giving it an appearance that looked like it had horns.
Skygazers in the Northern Hemisphere have been able to spot it since mid-March but as it approaches the sun, it will be visible over the Southern Hemisphere.
How to spot the comet in Australia
Australians have the best chance of spotting the comet with the naked eye because the closer it gets to the sun, the brighter it gets, emitting more gas. Australians are advised to look west for the best chance to see the comet. Keep an eye out for Venus, which is unmissably bright in the night sky, the comet should appear somewhere between the Sun and Venus.
Although you don’t need any equipment to spot it, a pair of binoculars or a telescope are recommended and those with advanced telescopes should have no trouble spotting the comet. The comet will remain in our skies until July but become fainter and therefore won’t be visible without a telescope.
The next time you can see the comet in Australia is in 2095 so don’t miss out. Read more about it here.