The monstrous comet, three times the size of Mount Everest and the size of a large city, had simply exploded.
Sprays like a shaken soda can
12P is a so-called cryovolcanic comet, which essentially means that it is a cold volcano.
The core is 30 kilometers in diameter and filled with cryomagma – a mixture of dust, ice and gas that acts a bit like carbonation in a soda bottle.
This is because the pressure inside the cryomagma continues to rise as it is heated by the sun, until nitrogen and carbon monoxide explode and eject icy magma remnants through large cracks in the shell of the comet nucleus.
Returning to Earth in 2095
The comet is currently moving through cold space towards Earth’s inner solar system and is located in the constellation Hercules, where it can be observed in a north-easterly direction at a height of 36 degrees above the horizon.
On its way to Earth, the comet is likely to continue to erupt – potentially even more violently than it already has, according to BAA.
The comet will reach its closest point to Earth on April 21 next year. Here it can become so visible that with the naked eye we will be able to see the whizzing comet explode on its way past our planet.
The comet’s visibility from Earth may vary depending on where you are and the comet’s position in the sky. It is still too uncertain to say exactly where on Earth 12P will be most visible in 2024.
After 12P visits us earthlings, it will be flung towards the outer solar system in an elliptical – that is, oval – orbit around the sun, and we won’t see it again until 2095.
The cryovolcanic comet is about the same size as the famous Halley’s Comet and was last visible to the naked eye from Earth in 1954.
This means that we can see the comet approximately every 71 years, which is very special. Most comets do not return for thousands of years – if they return at all.
2023-10-20 19:02:38
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