The Devil Comet (12P/Pons-Brooks) Explained, Plus More Comet FAQs
Quick Reference: The Devil Comet
- Official name: Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks.
- Nickname: the Devil Comet, for its horn-shaped outbursts in 2023.
- Orbit: 71 years.
- Perihelion (closest to sun): April 21, 2024.
- Peak naked-eye visibility: March-April 2024.
- Coincidence: visible during the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse.
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks earned the nickname ‘the Devil Comet’ in late 2023 when it underwent a series of dramatic outbursts that gave it a horn-shaped appearance. It returned to perihelion in April 2024 and was visible during the April 8 total solar eclipse over North America. Here’s the science behind the nickname, the comet’s orbital history, and answers to common comet questions.
Why the Devil Nickname
12P/Pons-Brooks is a cryovolcanic comet, meaning its solid icy nucleus periodically erupts. When ice subsurface heats from the sun, gas pressure builds, then ruptures the surface in massive outbursts that can multiply the comet’s brightness 100-fold in hours.
In July and October 2023, the comet underwent two such outbursts that produced asymmetric coma shapes that, photographed through telescopes, looked like a horseshoe or a pair of curving horns. The horn-shaped coma earned the ‘Devil Comet’ nickname in viral news coverage.
The 2024 Perihelion Pass
12P/Pons-Brooks reached perihelion (closest approach to the sun) on April 21, 2024. Naked-eye visibility began in mid-March and peaked in early April, when the comet was visible low in the western evening sky after sunset.
The comet’s most photographed moment came during the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse. With the sky darkened, the comet was briefly visible to the unaided eye near the eclipsed sun.
When It Returns
12P/Pons-Brooks orbits the sun every 71 years. Its next return to the inner solar system will be in 2095. Most of us alive in 2026 will not see it again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the Devil Comet have horns?
Cryovolcanic outbursts on the comet’s surface erupted gas asymmetrically, producing a horseshoe-shaped coma that resembled horns when photographed.
Is the Devil Comet dangerous?
No. It passed Earth at over 100 million miles. No close encounter, no risk.
Was the Devil Comet visible during the April 2024 eclipse?
Yes, briefly. With the sky dark during totality, the comet was visible near the eclipsed sun. Eclipse photographers captured both objects in the same frame.
When is the next return of the Devil Comet?
2095. The comet has a 71-year orbit.
Dean Regas
Dean Regas is an astronomer and author of seven books including 100 Things to See in the Night Sky and How to Teach Grown-Ups About Pluto and host of the popular astronomy podcast Looking Up with Dean Regas. He can be reached at: www.astrodean.com
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- Dean Regas
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