A SO-CALLED ‘devil comet’ with horns and freezing cryovolcanoes has turned a rare green as it prepares to make its closest pass of Earth.
Amateur astronomers will be able to see the city-sized comet with binoculars and small telescopes, and perhaps even the naked eye depending on when they look.
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The giant space rock, dubbed 12P/Pons-Brooks, is about three times the size of Mount Everest.
The uncommon colouration of the comet indicates it has high levels of dicarbon, a chemical that emits green light when broken down by solar flares.
It is expected to brighten still further in the weeks and months to come.
The comet is what’s known as a cryovolcanic comet, which is essentially a cold volcano, so it constantly spits out icy debris across our solar system.
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It was last seen by humans in 1954, due to its 71-year orbit of the sun.
Pons-Brooks exploded sometime between October 5 and October 7, leaving astronomers with new imagery revealing two horns coming out of the comet.
The comet lies in the Hercules constellation, and can be spotted in the East-Northeast direction about 36 degrees above the horizon.
When can I see it?
The comet will be making its closest pass of Earth on April 21, 2024.
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It is predicted to reach a magnitude of +4, which is what astronomers use to gauge the brightness of celestial objects.
The smaller the number, the brighter the object.
To put the figure into context, the North Star reaches a magnitude of +2.
This means the comet may also be visible to the naked eye between March and June
Astronomers expect it to be brightest in the sky on June 2, 2024 – so, mark your calendars.
Once Pons-Brooks makes its pass of Earth, between April and June of next year, the cosmic rock won’t be seen by humans again until 2095.
