MétéoMédia editorial team
Published on October 26, 2023 at 3:00 p.m.
For the first time in 71 years, a giant comet will pass by Earth.
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is one of the brightest known. Therefore, it is relatively easy to observe with the naked eye. Its nucleus is about 30 kilometers in diameter, making it a fairly large comet. Special feature: There are even ice volcanoes on its surface that produce so-called “cryomagma”, which consists of volatile elements such as water, ammonia or methane.
It is an orbiting celestial body, which means it rotates cyclically around the Earth. Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is therefore visible without an instrument every 71 years.
It will also make a remarkable passage in the sky and should be visible to the naked eye on April 21, 2024, where it will reach its closest point to the Sun. It is therefore likely that it will shine with all its lights.
Everything indicates that we can see it a second time on June 2, 2024. Then it will reach its closest point to Earth, about 232 million kilometers.
In certain regions it would even be possible to see it during the solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. The comet would be about 25 degrees from the Sun during this event.