Next week, the comet 12P/Pons-Brooks known as “Devil’s Comet” will reach its maximum brightness, and it is the best time to appreciate the beauty of the celestial body, which can be observed throughout Brazil.
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks reaches perihelion (the moment of greatest proximity to the Sun) on the 21st and should register maximum brightness on April 23rd. Even so, the use of binoculars is recommended if you want to see the celestial body, as there is no guarantee that it will be visible to the naked eye.
The Devil's Comet should appear in the western sky, close to the horizon, shortly after sunset. However, if you want to save the time of searching for the celestial body, or make sure you are actually seeing the comet, it is also possible find it with the help of the astronomy app Sky Tonight – Star Map .
How to follow “Devil’s Comet” with the help of an app?
- Get the app Sky Tonight – Star Map;
- Launch the app and allow it to use your location;
- Tap the magnifying glass icon in the bottom left corner of the screen and search for “12P/Pons-Brooks” in the search bar;
- Tap the target to the right of the desired result and the app will show the comet's location on the sky map;
- Tap the compass button in the right corner or follow the direction of the white arrow until you see the comet on the screen;
- Then just look for the comet in the sky in that direction.
Tips for seeing the comet
As recommended for any observation in the night sky, there are more chances of being able to see the comet in a dark place with few artificial lights.
Another important point in the case of the Devil's Comet is also finding a location in which the horizon is clear towards the west as the celestial body will appear very low in the sky.
And although there is an expectation that the celestial body will be visible to the naked eye, the use of binoculars or telescope It is also recommended for those who don't want to miss out on the experience.
Where and when?
To try to spot the Devil's Comet, observers must look in the heading west, close to the horizon, shortly after sunset at which time the comet should be more visible.
In April, the Devil's Comet will be below the constellation of Taurus and, in May, below the constellation of Orion.
The time at which the celestial body will become visible varies depending on the region of Brazil due to the difference in the time at which the Sun sets.
In the North region, the comet should remain visible until around 7:50 pm in Acre, because the state is located in the extreme west of the country. On the Northeast coast, in the extreme east of the country, the comet should be visible between 5:45 pm and 6:20 pm.
As they are closer to the Equator, the North and Northeast will have the chance to observe the celestial body at a better height than the rest of Brazil, as the comet should appear very close to the horizon.
*With information from Estadão Conteúdo
Source: CNN Brasil
Charles Grill is a tech-savvy writer with over 3 years of experience in the field. He writes on a variety of technology-related topics and has a strong focus on the latest advancements in the industry. He is connected with several online news websites and is currently contributing to a technology-focused platform.
