A comet larger than Mount Everest could be visible in the sky in the coming weeks.
A rare event since 12P/Pons-Brooks, as scientists call it, completes its orbit once every 71.3 years.
And this year, it should come closest to the sun on April 21, informs the
Guardian
.
She was last seen in 1954 and will make another appearance in 2095.
This green-tinted body is distinguished by the size of its core, approximately 30 km in diameter.
The comet is therefore more than 3.5 times larger than Mount Everest which measures 8,848 meters, according to Larousse.
This star is also nicknamed the
“devil’s comet”
because of the two horns that form its hair.
In fact, these horns are formed thanks to cracks that occur inside its core, from which eruptions of gas and ice emerge.
These eruptions are the cause of the formation of horns.
These characteristics classify the comet in the category of
“cryovolcanic”
comets , specifies the British newspaper.
Such an eruption occurred last year, making the star brighten a hundredfold.
Visible this week
While the comet has recently been seen in the night sky, particularly in Spain, experts believe it should become even brighter in the coming weeks.
The closer it gets to the sun, the brighter the star shines.
Andrew McCarthy, American astrophotographer, captured images of the comet's nucleus which he shared
on
, writes the researcher.
Although it is very bright, it will be necessary to equip yourself with binoculars or small telescopes to observe it.
How to know its exact location?
Dr Paul Strøm, an astrophysicist at the University of Warwick, gave some insight to the
Guardian
:
“The comet is moving from the constellation Andromeda towards Pisces.
In doing so, it passes in front of bright stars, which will make it easier to spot on certain dates.
In particular, on March 31, 12P/Pons-Brooks will be only 0.5 degrees from the bright star called Hamal.
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Nicolas Biver, president of the comet commission of the French Astronomical Society (SAF) and astrophysicist at the Paris Observatory, tells our colleagues at Actu.fr that the comet will be clearly visible
“the week of the 11 to March 17
.
Before being observable again at the end of March and until the end of April,
“but it’s not yet sure
,” he warns.
The astrophysicist especially advises placing your eyes towards the North-West.
“About 8°C below the Andromeda Galaxy
,” he specifies.
Many mobile applications exist to reveal the constellations, by pointing the phone towards the sky.
Finally, it is recommended to move away from light pollution, therefore from cities, in order to have a clear view of the sky.