How to see a once-in-a-lifetime green comet: Mount Everest-sized space rock ... trends now

How to see a once-in-a-lifetime green comet: Mount Everest-sized space rock ... trends now
How to see a once-in-a-lifetime green comet: Mount Everest-sized space rock ... trends now

How to see a once-in-a-lifetime green comet: Mount Everest-sized space rock ... trends now

Tonight, the night sky will be lit up by a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle as the 'Mother of Dragons' comet returns to the solar system.

The 21-mile-wide (34km) comet 12P/ Pons-Brooks, or Pons-Brooks for short, is making its first visit to the inner solar system in more than 70 years.

And the great news is that you won't even need a telescope or any special equipment to see this stunning display.

All you will need is a dark night and some patience to spot the Mount Everest-sized comet with the naked eye as it reaches its brightest point on Sunday. 

However, Dr Robert Massey, deputy executive director of the Royal Astronomical Society warns: 'Don't expect it to be dazzlingly bright - the kind of image you see in photographs. It's not going to be like that.'

Tonight the dazzling green 'devil comet' (pictured)  might be visible with the naked eye over the UK

Tonight the dazzling green 'devil comet' (pictured)  might be visible with the naked eye over the UK 

The comet earned its name as an eruption of the comet's ice volcanoes gave it a distinct horn-like appearance

The comet earned its name as an eruption of the comet's ice volcanoes gave it a distinct horn-like appearance 

The Pons-Brooks comet is a periodic comet, meaning its orbit takes it through the solar system on a somewhat regular basis.

It takes 71.3 years for it to make a complete lap of the sun, making it a so-called Halley-type comet which appear in the solar system every 20 to 200 years.

This means opportunities to see the devil comet only come once or maybe twice in a lifetime. 

As Pons-Brooks returns to the inner solar system, light from the sun will reflect off the comet's cloud of gas and ice - making it appear to glow brighter.

The comet will reach its maximum brightness as it reaches its closest point to the sun, or its apogee, which will take place tonight.

To see Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, look westwards in the night sky and find the constellation of stars known as Aries the Ram, which forms a loose V-shape. Over the next few weeks it will keep moving west towards Orion, the constellation that looks like the great mythical hunter

To see the comet this weekend look to the West in the 90 minutes after sunset, the comet should be below and to the left of Jupiter 

Comets to look out for in 2024

13P/Olbers 

This will be visible in June and July.

It will potentially be visible with binoculars.

This comet returns every 69 years.

C/2023 A3

This comet could be bright enough to the title 'Great Comet'.

It might be as bright as the brightest stars in the sky. 

It will be visible through September and October.

No special equipment will be needed. 

Advertisement

At this time the comet might become bright enough to see with the naked eye, although it will still be very faint.

Dr Massey says: 'This is something that might just be visible to the naked eye if you don't have a Moon in the sky, if there's no light pollution and if the weather is really clear, then you might stand a chance.

'But for most of us, we're going to need to pick up a pair of binoculars.'

Since it might be hard to spot, Dr Massey recommends using a star chart or night sky app to help locate it.

Jake Foster, astronomy at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told MailOnline: 'The comet will appear low in the west after sunset, setting below the horizon around 90 minutes after the Sun does.

'This means it will be difficult to observe, but not impossible. It will be just below and to the left of Jupiter, which will appear as a bright white dot to the naked eye.

Although the comet will be at its brightest, it may still be quite hard to see as the lighter evenings reduce its visibility.

Mr Foster says: 'Spotting the comet will require a clear view of the western horizon and a pair of binoculars or a telescope.

'Getting away from the light pollution of bright city lights will also help.'

The comet should be visible as a white spot to the naked eye, while telescopic photographs like this can reveal the swirling clouds of gas and dust that surround the nucleus

The comet should be visible as a white spot to the naked eye, while telescopic photographs like this can reveal the swirling clouds of gas and dust that surround the nucleus 

If you are lucky enough to get a good view of the comet this weekend, you might be able to see a detail that makes

read more from dailymail.....

PREV As research warns IQ is falling for first time EVER.... our map reveals average ... trends now
NEXT What DO cicadas do? Everything you need to know about sex-crazed insects as ... trends now