SPACE
When will the devil comet pass near the earth again?
This summer Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also known as the “devil comet,” will make a close approach to Earth.
There are plenty of astronomic events coming up this year and a very special one was just over the horizon, or rather flying through it. The “devil comet”, 12P/Pons-Brooks, graced the skies on 21 April for a once in 71-year event.
This means the next time it will be visible is 2095. 1953 was the last time it was visible before Sunday night.
The next time the comet will be near the East is on 2 June, but won’t be able to be seen. This closeness is relative, it will actually be 144 million miles away!
The history of the devil comet
Discovered in 1812 by French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons, Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is a periodic comet, meaning it orbits the sun on a predictable path. The comet is up to 10.5 miles (17 kilometers) wide and 17 miles (27 kilometers) long.
Comets are icy, rocky bodies left over from the formation of our solar system. As they approach the sun, the ice on their surface begins to sublimate (transform directly from solid to gas), creating a glowing tail that streams behind them. While some comets put on spectacular light shows, Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is a fainter object, typically only visible with telescopes.