Comet Pons-Brooks: A comet to observe!

Comet Pons-Brooks had an outburst

Comet 12/P Pons-Brooks is not new to the inner solar system. is what is called a periodic kite, in a known orbit around the sun, passing us from time to time, in this case every 71 years. And its next sweep past our local star will be in April 2024. But it’s already started to put on a show.

In July 20, 2023the comet had what is called a burstsuddenly glowing for about 6 magnitudes. That’s a lot! However, comet 12/P Pons-Brooks is still not bright enough to see with the naked eye, or even with binoculars… yet. It is still only in the range of the large telescopes. Still, as one of the brightest periodic comets, it could reach binocular range in March.

The comet was around magnitude 16 (beyond the range of most home telescopes) before rapidly increasing in brightness to magnitude 11 (a nice object for small to medium-sized telescopes) on July 20. The outburst gave the comet a peculiar “horned” appearance. or similar to Millenium Falcon of Star Wars. Wow!

As you can see in the images on this page taken by the EarthSky community photographers, the comet displays a distinctive C or hook shape.

Pons-Brooks in history

As mentioned, we have seen this comet in the past. Juan Luis Pons and William Robert Brooks both saw it in the 19th century. The comet now bears the names of those two skygazers.

And even before that, Chinese astronomers observed it as early as the 13th century.

It approaches the sun every 71 years.

Sharing the sky with a total solar eclipse

And what we’ve seen so far in 2023 is just the beginning of this comet. Don’t forget, he total solar eclipse next year is April 8, 2024. That means the obscured sun and comet will share the sky. The eclipse is about two weeks before the comet’s perihelion (closest point to the sun) on April 21, 2024.

So should you look for this comet during the April 2024 eclipse? It depends on the experience you have in observing the sun. Even with most of the sunlight blotted out by the moon during the eclipse, you’ll likely still need optical help to see the comet. So… there is the risk of blindness. Optically assisted scanning near the sun, even during an eclipse, when the sun is only momentarily obscured, is an activity best left to experienced observers.

Just keep in mind that the comet is up there. But you might want to let astrophotography experts capture an image of the comet near the eclipsed sun on April 8, 2024.

Where is the Pons-Brooks comet now?

Comet Pons-Brooks currently lies just below four astronomical units (Australia or Earth-Sun distances) from the sun. At its closest to the sun next year, the comet will be about 0.7 AU from our star on April 21. It will then come closest to Earth on June 2, when it will be within 1.5 AU of us.

According ElCieloLive.comthe comet currently appears to be sailing among the stars of Draco the Dragon from our earthly point of view. But even though it recently became 100 times brighter, it’s not something that observers can easily see yet.

How to see the comet

If you have a large telescope, you can try to spot the comet now from the northern hemisphere. If not, you can wait for it to get closer and brighter. And you might even see the comet during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024!

In August 2023, the comet will be at the head of the Dragon, quite close to the star Rastaban. The next few months will be in Herculespassing near the globular cluster M92 on October 13, 2023. (Astrophotographers, take note!) In early December, Comet Pons-Brooks will pass near vega in Lira.

In early 2024, Pons-Brooks will slide down cygnus the Cisne. In February it will pass lacerta already Andromeda.

Comet Pons-Brooks in March and early April

In March, as it gets closer to the sun, the comet really speeds up and gets brighter. It will fly through Andromeda to Pisces and lighten toward the edge of naked-eye visibility. And by April, the month of the eclipse and perihelion, the Pons-Brooks comet will be in Aries. Of course, the closer the comet gets to the sun, the harder it will be to see it when it enters a twilight sky.

The sun will be in Pisces during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. Jupiter is in neighboring Aries along with the comet. Remember, if you try to view the comet during the eclipse with binoculars, do not look at the sun. You only have a few minutes of darkness to find it, so you might be better off enjoying the eclipse spectacle with your eyes alone.

The comet’s closest approach to the sun and Earth.

Comet Pons-Brooks will be close to Jupiter from April 12 to 14. The comet’s closest approach to the sun (perihelion) is on April 21 in the constellation Taurus. As the comet recedes from the sun, it will soon disappear from view in the northern hemisphere. But the southern hemisphere will be able to see the comet heading towards Orion. It will be close Rigel on May 19 and 20.

On June 2, 2024, when the comet is closest to Earth, it will be dimmer because it is farther from the sun. But you should still be able to pick it up with binoculars. On that date, the comet will be in Rabbit the hare.

Comet Pons-Brooks will then return to the outer solar system, where it will remain until its return in about 71 years.

Photos of Comet Pons-Brooks

If you would like to share a photo you took of Comet Pons-Brooks, please send it to our community photos page.

Bottom line: Comet Pons-Brooks recently experienced an outburst, brightened rapidly, and took on a peculiar shape. This same comet will share the sky with the eclipsed sun next April.