In an unusual and captivating celestial occurrence, a colossal comet knownominously as the “Devil Comet” is making its way toward Earth for thesecond time in just four months.
The return of this celestial phenomenon, officially designated as12P/Pons-Brooks, has captured the attention of scientists and sky gazers.This massive comet is approximately three times the size of Mount Everest,measuring about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) in diameter.
This distinctive cryovolcanic or cold volcano comet is comprised of aunique blend of dust, gas, and ice referred to as cryomagma. At its core,the 12P comet is surrounded by a hazy gas cloud known as a “coma.” Notably,the comet is renowned for its tendency to explosively release its icycontents into space when exposed to increased solar radiation.
Astronomers were met with a surprising discovery when the BritishAstronomical Association (BAA) reported that, on October 5, the “DevilComet” was shining brighter than ever before. This brightness was primarilydue to its expanding coma, which was reflecting 12 times more light thanusual.
Read Top Stories
The BAA has been closely monitoring the comet’s behavior and speculatesthat, in the upcoming days, the comet will develop two horn-likestructures, resembling an outburst observed in July. The unusual shape ofthe coma following the comet’s previous explosion was attributed to ananomaly within the comet’s nucleus, as explained by BAA astronomer RichardMiles.
Notably, this marks the second explosive event involving the 12P comet,with the first occurring on July 20, during which horn-like emissions werean astonishing 7,000 times wider than the comet itself.