For the third time in five months, the gigantic 12P/Pons-Brooks volcanic comet has erupted once more while nearing the Sun.
12P/Pons-Brooks Explodes For The Third Time
The comet was seen to first erupt last July 20, for the first time in the last 69 years. During this time, its coma expanded to become 7,000 times wider compared to its nucleus. A few months later on October 5, experts also observed that the comet erupted once more with a stronger intensity.
Just last week during Halloween, Eliot Herman, an amateur astronomer, observed another eruption as the comet became nearly 100 times brighter compared to its usual brightness.
This eruption enabled the regrowth of its odd horns that are formed by its coma whenever the rock erupts. These horns show up because the huge 17-kilometer nucleus of 12P has an off notch over its surface. This notch hampers cryo magma flow into space and makes the coma grow and expand into a shape that is quite irregular.
This outburst, which is the third since July and the second in just one month, serves as a reminder of the comet's increasing volcanic activity as it continues its journey towards the Sun.
ALSO READ: 'Star Wars Comet' 12 P/Pons-Brook Is Scheduled for a Total Solar Eclipse After Its 71-Year Orbit
Volcanic Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks
The volcanic comet is a cold volcano or cryovolcanic comet. Similar to other comets, it has a solid nucleus, which is a hard shell containing dust, gas, and ice, surrounded by a coma, or fuzzle cloud, consisting of materials that seeped out of the insides of the comet.
However, unlike other comets that are non-volcanic, the interior of 12P can be superheated by solar radiation. This could lead to the buildup of pressure until intensity heightens to the point where the shell of the nucleus cracks and its icy guts are sprayed into outer space. These outbursts make the coma of the comet brighten and expand as it reflects larger amounts of sunlight towards the Earth.
The orbit of 12P is elliptical, which means that the comet gets pulled near the Sun prior to getting slingshotted in the outer solar system. This is where it drifts slowly before going back to the inner solar system.
Its trajectory is quite similar to that of the orbit of the Nishimura green comet, which had a similar slingshot maneuver last September.
12P has to spend roughly 71 years for it to finish a full rotation around the Sun. Because of this, the comet can only be seen at its closest approach to the Sun, which is what is taking place right now. It will be closest to the Sun on April 24, 2024, where its minimum distance will be 116.7 million kilometers. As it nears the Sun, the comet may regularly exhibit its unique horns as it absorbs more radiation from the Sun.
The comet will be closest to Earth on June 2, 2024, where it will flyby from a distance of 231.9 million kilometers.
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