Sputnik International By Mary Manley
Scientists discovered that the comet, which is about the size of a city, erupts every 15 days. And prior to this weekend, those eruptions have only been witnessed a handful of times.
A comet larger than Mount Everest is currently racing towards Earth. The comet—nicknamed “Devil Comet” and officially known as 12P/Pons-Brooks after the two astronomers who discovered it—violently explodes about every 15 days. During its violent explosions it emits ice and gas.
The devil comet, named so as it appears to sprout horns when it erupts, is now scheduled to erupt on either December 29, or December 30.
Not sure what day it is ? #FridayVibes 🤪🖖#Comet PONS-BROOKS pic.twitter.com/PWV5TCTst0
— Blixbuller⚡ (@Skysurfer77x) December 29, 2023
The comet’s eruptions are like that of a volcanic eruption. The comet is actually known as a cryovolcanic comet, or a cold volcano comet. It rotates within a two-week period, astronomers found, which turns its cryovolcanic vent towards the sun. That vent is then heated by the sun, resulting in an eruption.
“Comet 12P has a super cryogeyser, an eruption of which is triggered after local sunrise at its location,” said Richard Miles, from the British Astronomical Association.
The comet—which measured about 18.6 miles in diameter—could experience its largest explosion since November 14, when it appeared 100 times brighter than normal for several days after exploding. Pons-Brooks will also be at its closest to Earth in April of 2024 and should be visible to the naked eye in May and June of that year.
#Comet #12P Pons-Brooks on Dec. 19, 2023, from Osservatorio Astronomico Sormano2 (G. Ventre). pic.twitter.com/4jias4Y3XR
— PS (@Piero_Sicoli) December 23, 2023
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