A green-horned 'Devil's Comet' has appeared in Australian skies, offering a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a unique celestial object.
This comet (real name 12P/Ponsbrooks) was nicknamed Comet Devil because the eruptions from its core gave it the appearance of two horns. These days, Star Wars fans nickname it the Millennium Falcon.
This comet has a core diameter of 34 kilometers and has been compared to Halley's Comet because it passes close to Earth approximately every 71 years. It also has a green color due to its molecular structure.
Halley's Comet appears about every 76 years, and was last seen in 1986, when amateur astronomers gathered outside at night. According to NASA, this comet is often cited as the most famous comet because it was “the first time astronomers understood that comets could be repeated visitors to our night skies.”
Australian National University astrophysicist Brad Tucker said Comet Devil is currently technically visible but difficult to spot, but it will become clearer over the next week or so.
“It's pretty low in the sky, but it's right next to Jupiter, so if you see Jupiter setting in the western sky, the comet is nearby.”
As it approaches the Sun's icy core, the gas trail becomes hotter and more visible. It will be brightest on April 22 on the horizon, but by then it will be competing with a full moon, so finding it will be a “cat and mouse” game, Tucker said.
“Probably the best days are around Anzac Day,” he said. “The full moon has already passed, but [the comet’s] It's still bright and it's getting a little higher…see you on the 25th and next weekend. ”
Rebecca Allen, co-director of Swinburne University's Institute of Space Technology and Industry, said it was visible to the naked eye, but binoculars or a telescope might help spot it first. She said the comet is part of history because it has been discovered for centuries, but it is also special because of its brightness.
“As it moves in from outside the solar system, it heats up and releases more gas,” she says. “There were also explosions recorded that caused a dramatic jump in brightness.
“The green color of this material is due to diatomic carbon, which is an unstable and very rare form of carbon. That's why it can only be obtained in very special environments without oxygen, such as on top of comets.”
This volcano is also known as the “Mother of Dragons” because it is a polar volcano, a type of volcano that spews water vapor and other substances from its core.
“The heat builds up pressure inside the comet, causing an eruption,” Tucker said.
According to NASA, people once perceived comets as “long-haired stars that appeared in the sky without warning or prediction.” It is now known that they are “leftovers” from the formation of the solar system billions of years ago. They are composed of ice and dirt and are sometimes called “dirty snowballs.”
Allen said these comets survive eons, coming from the edge of the solar system, being pulled together by the sun's gravity and eventually destroyed.
“They're really unique, and you never know which ones are going to break when the sun heats them up,” she says.
“Each time they come, they lose a little bit more mass. So when they finally disband, there will be a final orbit.”