The “Mother of Dragons” is back. Spectacular dust eruptions. A once in 71 year opportunity

You can already observe the comet “Mother of Dragons” in the sky. The last time it came close enough to our planet to be seen was 71 years ago. The opportunity to observe it will not appear too soon and you will have to wait until 2095. So it’s worth taking advantage of the opportunity, especially since the “Mother of Dragons” is known for her large braid and spectacular explosions of gas and dust.

Comet “Mother of Dragons”. Where and when to observe?

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, as its official name is, has a diameter of 30 kilometers. It is sometimes called “devil’s” because of its distinctive shape. Like other comets, this one is composed of ice, dust and rocky material. As it approaches the Sun, the heat causes the ice to turn into water vapor and, together with the dust, is released from the “Mother of Dragons”. As a result, it forms a large cloud and tail that move away from our star pushed by the solar wind.

Visibility on 12P/Pons-Brooks varies. When it is active and close to Earth, it appears as a very bright glow in the sky. Sometimes, however, it is barely visible. Fortunately, we have several months to observe it. The comet will be closest to Earth only in July, but then it will not be possible to observe it from the northern hemisphere (it is currently invisible from the southern hemisphere). For residents of our part of the planet, the best time to observe it is late March and April. During this time, the “Mother of Dragons” will be visible on the western horizon a few hours after dusk. If the sky is clear and you are lucky, you will be able to see the comet with binoculars, and sometimes even with the naked eye. However, the European Space Agency advises using even a small telescope, which gives you a better chance of spotting the comet, especially considering its unpredictable activity.

Comet of two fathers. But it has been seen since at least the Middle Ages

12P/Pons-Brooks is the name given to honor two of its discoverers. It was first described by Jean-Loius Pons. He observed the “Mother of Dragons” in the spring and summer of 1812 and already then calculated that its orbital period around the Sun was 65-75 years.

These calculations were refined by William R. Brooks, who observed the comet in 1883, exactly 71 years later. At first it seemed to be another object, but it quickly turned out to be the “Mother of Dragons”. It is suspected that reports of a bright celestial body from China in 1385 and Italy from 1457 could have described the comet 12P/Pons-Brooks.