Green "mother of dragons" comet now visible in the sky - how to see it

The celestial visitor was also called the "Devil comet" and the "Millennium Falcon".


In recent months, millions of people have prepared for the next Total solar eclipse On April 8, but that is the last time we will be visible from the United States for two decades, it is not the only important celestial event that takes place this month. It is because a Green comet who won the nickname "Mother of Dragons" is now visible in the sky. Read the rest to know why this visitor is so special and how you can see it.

In relation: Here is what you will see if it is cloudy during the total solar eclipse .

COMETE 12P / PONS-BROOKS will soon be closer to the earth than it has been for several decades.

A telescopic photo of Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks with a green aura in the night sky
Thomas Roell / Shutterstock

It is not every day that you meet a celestial object that wins a handful of nicknames because of its unique appearance. But now the visitor who has been nicknamed the comet "Mother of Dragons" and "Millennium Falcon" is visible from the northern hemisphere.

The comet officially known as 12P / Pons-Brooks is now in the last section of his orbit which approaches the sun, which brought him closest to the earth in 71 years, according to the European Space Agency (ESA). The "Halley style" object has a nucleus in ice, dust and rock which measures about 19 miles wide which shines a shiny green while it warms up, it approaches the star of our solar system.

The occasional visitor was spotted for the first time by the French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons In 1812, which noticed that the dark object became brighter during a month until he pushed a tail and became visible to the naked eye. It is only by American-American astronomer William R. Brooks checked the orbital period of the comet in 1883 that the object was appointed according to her co-discovers, according to ESA. However, the historic files of China in the 14th century and Italy in the 15th century also note the visitor who passes.

In relation: The new star "will explode" in the night sky - how to see the event "once in life" .

The nicknames of the comet come from one of its unique characteristics.

A family of four sitting in a field and stargazing
Bilanol / Shutterstock

Game Of Thrones Fans can appreciate the idea of a celestial object named after Daenerys Targaryen. But the comet 12p / Pons-Brooks actually won her "mother of the dragons" on the ESA because it is the probable source of the annual shower of meteor kappa-draconids, which occurs every fall at the end.

The other nicknames of the comet have a very different reasoning behind them. Indeed, the object is one of the less than two dozen "Cryovolcano comets" "known, which means that it is an active ice volcano that bursts while the comet warms up closer to the sun, according to Space. com. Last year, this created the unique appearance of "horns" or giving the object the same shape as the emblematic space vessel of Han Solo Star wars saga.

This rare characteristic has also made a Important point of interest For astronomers and scientists. Some hope to understand how often such "ice ratings" occur when the object is theft of earth.

"I would say that it is somewhat unusual in the number of brilliance that it had," Dave Schleicher , PHD, an astronomer from the Lowell Observatory in Arizona, told CNN. "On the other hand, it is not as if you had good records of the past to really let you know what is typical. And I suspect that the fairly large number of explosions that occurred during the eight Last months, that it is very clearly a usual occurrence for Pons-Brooks. "

In relation: Here is exactly when you can watch the solar eclipse directly, NASA says .

He will reach his point closest to the sun later this month.

A astronomical close up of Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks
Valerio Pardi / Shutterstock

The comet should become the most brilliant when she reaches the perihelion - or her point closest to the sun - in June, according to ESA. But as it will not be visible at night from the northern hemisphere at that time, the agency says that in early April offers people above the equator the best opportunities to see the rare Cryovolcano Comet. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

Anyway, the "mother of the dragons" should continue to make a show long before her grand finale. And according to experts, it should not be too difficult to spot for the moment.

"The comet will have fun as it gets closer to the sun, and it should be visible to the naked eye to the west about an hour after sunset", " Paul Chodas , PHD, director of the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, and Davide Farnocchia , the navigation engineer, at the NASA laboratory propulsion jet, told CNN in a joint email.

You can improve your viewing experience when you leave the city.

A person stargazing and watching a comet with a long tail in the night sky
Pol Sole / Shutterstock

Although the capture of a special celestial event is to be in the right place at the right time speaking cosmic, experts say where you are on earth can also make a difference. For your best point of view, follow some of the base principles of Stargazing.

"You should go to a place away from the city's lights and with a breathtaking view of the western horizon," Choodas and Farnocchia told CNN. "It would be advisable to use a pair of binoculars, because the comet can be difficult to locate without them."

Surprisingly, the Comet 12p / Pons-Brooks should also appear during the eclipse and even become visible with other points of interest during the whole. However, experts say that it may not be the best use of your time trying to spot it.

"The comet would be located about 25 degrees from the eclipsed sun," Chodas and Farnocchia told CNN. "The comet should be quite easy to find during the total solar eclipse, as well as a certain number of planets, but the main objective during these four minutes should be on the eclipse itself!"


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