You'll need good weather, binoculars or a telescope – and a little luck.
The comet was first discovered by astronomer Jean-Louis Pons on July 12, 1812 and was initially described as “a shapeless object without a visible tail.” Over the next month, the comet became so bright that the object could be seen in the night sky with the naked eye—as could its forked tail. Further calculations showed that the comet needs about 65-75 years to fly around the Sun.
On September 2, 1883, British-born American comet observer William R. Brooks saw the comet again and now it bears the names of both researchers – Comet Pons-Brooks (12P/Pons-Brooks).
A combination of five 120-second exposures taken by the Virtual Telescope Project in Manciano, Italy, on March 5, showing Comet Pons-Brooks (lower right) and the Andromeda Galaxy. Source: Gianluca Masi/Virtual Telescope Project
By the end of March, the comet's brightness could reach about 5th magnitude, which means it may be visible to the naked eye (but it's best to use binoculars or a telescope if possible). Those in the northern hemisphere can see the comet until April 21, when it will make its closest approach to the Sun. Next, the object will fall below the horizon and become visible to residents of the southern hemisphere, the Starwalk program website reports. The best time to view the comet is in clear weather from the countryside, away from city lights.
As Space.com notes, last July, due to an unexpected flare, the comet became about 100 times brighter, and the cloud of dust and gas surrounding its core (coma) expanded and began to resemble a horseshoe in shape – because of this, the comet was often called the “horned comet” or “devil's comet”. The reasons for such outbursts of brightness are not known for certain, but some astronomers suggest that Comet Pons-Brooks is a rare member of a group of comets with volcanic activity on the surface.
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