A 'devil comet' is set to swing by the sun and could be visible during the eclipse

A “devil comet” known for its occasional outbursts is currently visible in the night sky, and lucky stargazers may even be able to spot the celestial object during next month’s much-anticipated solar eclipse.

A “devil comet” known for its occasional outbursts is currently visible in the night sky, and lucky stargazers may even be able to spot the celestial object during next month’s much-anticipated solar eclipse.

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks was nicknamed the "devil comet" because an eruption last year left it with two distinct trails of gas and ice in the shape of devil horns.

At the moment, the comet is visible from the Northern Hemisphere with binoculars and telescopes. But by the end of the month, the comet may be visible to the naked eye as it swings through the inner solar system and reaches its closest point to the sun in mid-April.

A comet typically has a core of dust, gas and ice surrounded by bright clouds of gas known as the coma. These celestial objects are “frozen leftovers from the formation of the solar system” and some of the largest can measure tens of miles wide, according to NASA.

Sunlight and solar radiation can heat a comet’s core, sometimes causing violent outbursts, as has happened several times with Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks.

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/devil-comet-set-swing-sun-visible-eclipse-rcna143911

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