A “devil’s comet” twice the size of Mount Everest is hurtling toward Earth, but it probably poses no threat to humanity, astronomers say.
“It may be bright enough to be seen with the naked eye or binoculars, but it’s not because it’s going to be super close,” Teddy Kaleta, a postdoctoral fellow at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, told Insider. “That’s because it’s so bright overall.”
The so-called “Devil’s Comet”, better known in the scientific community as 12P/Ponsbrooks, was first discovered in 1812 and again in 1883, SkyLive reported.
It is known as a periodic comet with an orbital period of approximately 71 years.
The comet is also thought to be one of about 20 other comets with active cryovolcanoes, according to the British Astronomical Society.
The cold volcanic comet contains a mixture of ice, dust, and gas known as cryomagma, surrounded by gas leaking from its interior, Live Science reported.
The comet will be at its brightest for Earthlings in mid-April next year, when it will be about 232 million kilometers from Earth, or 144,158,116 miles.
“Next spring, Ponds Brooks could be bright enough to be seen with the naked eye, but it’s almost certainly bright enough to be seen with small binoculars or even a beginner’s backyard telescope. Top Features in Space News Next April will be a total solar eclipse, so people should consider marking their calendars to see the comet in case there isn’t much news coverage,” Kaleta told FOX News Digital.
The astronomer noted that measuring how bright a comet gets as it approaches Earth is “notoriously unpredictable” and is a “wait and see” moment for sky watchers. He claimed that.
The comet earned the nickname “The Devil” after astronomers discovered “horns” around its core in July, leading some to liken it to the Millennium Falcon spacecraft from “Star Wars.” Forbes magazine said at the time.
Kaleta explained that the horns are actually tails of gas and dust from an unusual explosion, which scientists are still working to understand.
Astronomers told Insider that the explosion is when the comet “suddenly becomes more active” and increases the rate at which it releases gas and dust.
“The comet brightens very quickly and then gradually returns to its original brightness,” he told the media. “And at Ponds Brooks, there’s a really, really bright, really, really big explosion going on. And this is what makes this comet so interesting to scientists.”
Kaleta advised people to follow comet updates in the months leading up to the comet’s scheduled appearance in the sky.
Astronomers estimate that the comet’s core extends 19.4 miles, or roughly twice the size of Mount Everest.
Caleta said the comet is huge compared to other fireballs that typically range from 0.6 to 1.8 miles wide.
“We know it’s big. We know it’s an outlier.” Kaleta told Insider that he believes “a lot of people are really excited about this comet.” he added.
