ENID, OK - Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, nicknamed the "devil comet", is currently visible from the Northern Hemisphere with binoculars and telescopes. But by the end of March, the comet may be visible to the naked eye as it swings through the inner solar system and reaches its closest point to the sun in mid-April.
It is a cryovolcanic comet – an ice volcano – and can erupt, making it seem brighter in the sky. In July 2023, there was an eruption causing it to become not only 100 times brighter but also change shape so that it appeared to have horns, hence the "Devil" moniker.
The 'Devil Comet' is described as a Halley-type comet, one that comes around once or twice in one's lifetime, and has a 71-year orbit, according to NASA. The last time it was seen in the inner solar system was in 1954 and it won't be seen again until 2095.
The comet can be seen in the early evenings from the Northern Hemisphere by gazing toward the west-northwest horizon. It is expected to brighten through the end of March and will be visible, when conditions are clear and dark, until early May.
The comet will move from the constellation of Andromeda to Pisces. On March 31st, 12P/Pons–Brooks will be only 0.5 a degree from the bright star called Hamal. Locating Hamal and going from there to find the comet may help. It also sometimes appears to give off a green sheen, which could aid identification.
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks was discovered in 1812 by a French astronomer, Jean-Louis Pons. It was observed again in 1883 by British-American astronomer William Brooks. Sightings of the comet are rare because it takes 71 years to orbit around the sun.
