Rare ‘Devil Comet’ visible for first time in 71 years
If the hype surrounding the April 8 “Great American” solar eclipse isn’t enough, we’re here to tell you that another once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event will grace our skies next month.
From mid-March to mid-April, a 10mile-wide comet officially called 12/P Pons-Brooks will be visible in Wisconsin for the first time in about 71 years. The comet is better known as the “Devil Comet” because some astronomers say that the gas and dust the comet spews somewhat resemble devil horns.
“It has a different look than most comets,” said University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee planetarium director Jean Creighton. “Most comets look like long, flowing hair. In fact, ‘comet’ means ‘hair-do’ in ancient Greek.”
The Devil Comet has a good chance of being the most visible on Sunday, April 21. This is when the comet will reach its perihelion: the closest point to the sun on its orbital path. The closer the comet comes to the sun, the more likely it is to “flare up” and become visible to the naked eye.
Here’s what to know about the Devil Comet and how best to view it from Wisconsin.
What is the ‘Devil Comet’?
Comet 12/P Pons-Brooks orbits the sun roughly every 71 years. This orbital length classifies it as a Halley-type comet, a comet with an orbital period of 20 to 200 years.
Comets are large objects made of dust and ice that orbit the sun, NASA explains. They’re known for their “long, streaming tails” and are leftovers from the formation of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago.
At the core of every comet is a nucleus comprised of ice and dust. As the comet approaches the sun, the ice begins to turn to gas that can burst out of the comet in a cloud of dust that creates a huge, fuzzy cloud around the nucleus called the coma. The shape of 12/P Pons-Brooks’ coma has created the appearance of horns for on-the-ground observers.
The closer the Devil Comet gets to the sun, the more likely it is to “flare up” in this way and look much brighter.
The comet has experienced multiple flare-ups in the past year. During one flare-up last July, the comet “suddenly became 100 times brighter,” Space.com reported. The comet also had outbursts on Oct. 5, Nov. 1 and 14, Dec. 14 and Jan. 18.
So, what causes these flare-ups? “As the comet is approaching the sun, it heats up. In some cases, some of the ice will melt. There will be changes in pressure; there will be (gravity effects). So, any combination of this can make a piece of it erupt,” Creighton explained.
What is the best way to see the Devil Comet from Milwaukee?
Comet material is fairly dark, Creighton said. So, unless the comet flares up, it is difficult to see with the naked eye. However, through mid-April, it will be visible with binoculars or a telescope even if it doesn’t flare.
But where and when should you look?
The Devil Comet is located south and to the left of Jupiter, which is pretty low in the sky. This means the best time to view it from the Milwaukee area is just after sunset and certainly before 8:30 p.m., Creighton said.
“There is a narrow window between the sun setting and the comet setting,” she explained. She suggests observers start looking in the west right after sunset.
“Look along the western horizon and then below Jupiter. Jupiter is a very bright object in the western horizon.”
When will I be able to see the Devil Comet in Milwaukee?
The comet is currently visible in Milwaukee, from mid-March to mid-April, with the aid of binoculars, a telescope or a flare-up. However, as the sun sets later, the Devil Comet will become harder and then impossible to see, Creighton said.
Although it will be closest to the sun on April 21, early April might be a better time for Milwaukeeans to view the comet as it will be higher in the sky, she added.
Unlike the upcoming solar eclipse, you do not need glasses or other special protection to view the comet.
After about April 21, the comet won’t be visible from the Milwaukee area for about another 71 years.
Will the Devil Comet be visible during the solar eclipse?
On Monday, April 8, the “Great American Eclipse” will briefly turn day to night as the moon blocks the sun’s light along a 115-mile-wide, southwest-tonortheast path across North America. Millions of residents (and many eclipse tourists) in 13 states stretching from Texas to Maine will be under this “path of totality” and experience nighttimelike darkness.
With April 8 being so close to the Devil Comet’s April 21 perihelion, the comet could be observable during the darkness of totality.
However, because totality lasts for just a brief moment (only about three to four minutes) and won’t come around again in the U.S. until 2044, some experts suggest it might not be the best idea to glance away from the eclipse to view the comet, since the comet can be viewed at other times.
“No matter how many minutes totality lasts, it will feel like it’s flying by. So drink up as much of the view as you can,” Wisconsin-based astronomy writer Kelly Kizer Whitt said. “Whether you want to tear your eyes away from the eclipsed sun to look around is up to you.”
When the sky darkens during the eclipse, observers will see the brightest planet, Venus, come into view on one side of the sun, Kizer Whitt explained. On the sun’s other side is the secondbrightest planet, Jupiter. If the Devil Comet is bright enough, it will be visible between Jupiter and the sun, closer to Jupiter.
Will Wisconsin see the total solar eclipse?
Milwaukee and Wisconsin are not on the path of totality and will thus experience a partial eclipse like much of the rest of the country. The Devil Comet will not be visible during the partial eclipse, Creighton said.
Nearby places on the path of totality include southern Illinois and much of Indiana and Ohio. The closest major city to Milwaukee on the path is Indianapolis — just over a four-hour drive away.