‘Devil’s Comet’ is already visible in the Northern Hemisphere and can be observed in Brazil | Science

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1 of 1 O 12P/Pons-Brooks, in image taken on March 7, 2024. — Photo: Wikimedia O 12P/Pons-Brooks, in image taken on March 7, 2024. — Photo: Wikimedia

Over the next few weeks, astronomy enthusiasts will have the opportunity to observe one of the brightest comets known to scientists as the 12P/Pons-Brooks becomes visible in the night sky.

At this moment, the Devil’s Cometas this celestial body is popularly known, is approaching our planet (without any risk of collision) and, therefore, in some places, such as the Northern Hemisphere, it is now possible to be observed with the help of instruments.

Discovered in 1812 by French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons, 12P/Pons-Brooks gained its “diabolical” nickname due to an explosion in July 2023, which distorted its coma, that is, the cloud of dust and gas that surrounds its core. , in a shape of horns.

And the comet is already becoming brighter for observation, with a current magnitude of 5.0 (the lower this number, the brighter the object), brighter than the planet Uranus in our Solar System.

However, in countries in the Southern Hemisphere, such as Brazil, only close to April 19th or 20th the comet will become visible.

At that time, it will reach its maximum brightness, potentially reaching a magnitude of 3.0according to specialized measurement platforms.

This means it will be visible to the naked eye or with binoculars, although the comet’s proximity to the Sun in the sky can make observations difficult, especially in urban areas with light pollution, such as the city of São Paulo.

To locate 12P/Pons-Brooks in the sky, stargazing applications for cell phones such as Star Walk 2 or Sky Tonight can be useful, as they allow the identification of several astronomical objects, in addition to comets.

Just search for the Devil’s Comet in the search tool of these apps and point your cell phone at the sky near the best observation time.

Brightest comets of the year ☄️

Comets are large objects made of dust and ice that orbit the Sun. This year, the observation highlights are the following stars:

• C/2021 S3 (PANSTARRS). Visibility period: from January to June. Maximum Brightness: March. Visibility: through binoculars, in dark skies, during the early hours of the morning.
• C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinschan-ATLAS). Visibility period: from September to November. Maximum Brightness: October. Visibility: late morning (beginning of October) and early evening (end of October), through binoculars.
• 12P/Pons-Brooks (or Devil’s Comet). Visibility period: from February to June. Maximum Brightness: April. Visibility: through binoculars, in the early evening.
• 13P/Olbers. Visibility period: from June to August. Maximum Brightness: July. Visibility: through binoculars, in the early evening.
• 62P/ Tsuchinschan 1. Visibility period: from January to March. Maximum Brightness: January. Visibility: through binoculars, during the early hours of the morning.
• 144P/Kushida. Visibility period: from January to February. Maximum Brightness: January. Visibility: through small telescopes, in dark skies, during the early evening.

Does pollution really make the sky more beautiful?