A colossal comet, three times larger than Mount Everest and known as 12P/Pons-Brooks, has experienced another explosive event as it makes its way toward Earth. This ‘cold volcano’ comet, approximately 18 miles in diameter, is notorious for its violent ejections of ice and gas. This activity creates a trail resembling devil horns, making it a fascinating spectacle in space.
Discovered in 1812, 12P/Pons-Brooks is on a trajectory that will bring it closest to Earth in June 2024. Despite its proximity, it poses no threat to our planet. During this approach, it will be visible as a faint, star-like object with a distinct tail, even to the naked eye.
Volcanic behavior
Comets like 12P/Pons-Brooks are made up of an icy nucleus surrounded by a coma – a cloud of gas and dust. Its classification as a cryovolcanic comet indicates that it exhibits volcanic behavior.
However, instead of ejecting molten rock, it releases gasses and ice, particularly when nearing the sun. As the comet approaches the sun, the increase in temperature and pressure leads to explosive releases of nitrogen and carbon monoxide, pushing out icy fragments from the nucleus.
Recent outburst
Eliot Herman, an amateur astronomer based in Arizona, observed a dramatic brightening of the comet on October 31, indicating a fresh burst of cryovolcanic activity. This recent outburst is the second in a month and the third since July, reinforcing its reputation as the “devil comet.” The comet’s appearance, with its devil-like horns, has been widely reported in the media.
Journey around the sun
12P/Pons-Brooks orbits the sun, attracted by its gravitational pull, and completes this journey in 71 years. This period is relatively short compared to most comets, which may take thousands of years to orbit the sun. Comets like 12P/Pons-Brooks have highly elliptical orbits, bringing them close to the sun at perihelion and far away at aphelion. As they near the sun, their speed increases significantly.
Currently, the comet is hurtling towards the sun at over 40,000 miles per hour. This speed is expected to increase to over 100,000 miles per hour as it approaches its perihelion. Its closest encounter with the sun will occur on April 21 next year, followed by a close approach to Earth on June 2. After this encounter, the comet will be propelled back to the outer solar system, not returning until 2095.
Cryovolcanic comets
Cryovolcanism is a type of volcanic activity that occurs at extremely low temperatures on icy moons and other celestial bodies. Unlike the typical molten rock volcanism we see on Earth, cryovolcanism involves the eruption of volatile substances such as water, ammonia, or methane – compounds that are usually in a frozen solid state at the low temperatures found on these bodies.
Cryovolcanic comets, specifically, are comets that exhibit such activity. As a comet approaches the sun, the increase in temperature can cause its icy components to sublimate (transition from solid to gas), leading to geysers or eruptions of gas and dust from the comet’s surface. This activity is reminiscent of volcanic eruptions.
The expelled materials can form a coma (a temporary atmosphere) and sometimes a tail, which are characteristic features of comets. Cryovolcanism is one of the processes that shape the surfaces of comets. It is a key phenomenon that missions such as NASA’s Deep Impact and ESA’s Rosetta have studied to understand the composition and behavior of these celestial objects.
More about comets
Comets are celestial wanderers that capture the imagination with their breathtaking tails and ancient origins. They are composed of ice, rock, and cosmic dust, remnants from the formation of our solar system over 4.6 billion years ago. As they orbit the Sun, these “dirty snowballs” thaw and release gases and dust, creating their distinctive glowing comas and tails.
Anatomy of a comet
At the heart of a comet is the nucleus, a solid core typically less than 30 kilometers across. It’s surrounded by a diffuse cloud of gas and dust called the coma when the comet is near the Sun. The coma can grow to be larger than planets. The tail, which can stretch for millions of kilometers, always points away from the Sun due to the solar wind’s force and radiation pressure.
Orbit of comets
Comets have highly elliptical orbits, often bringing them very close to the Sun, a point called perihelion, and then slinging them far back into the depths of space, to their aphelion. There are two types of comets based on their orbital periods: short-period comets, like Halley’s Comet, take less than 200 years to orbit the Sun, while long-period comets can take much longer, sometimes thousands of years.
Comets and Earth
Comets have had a significant impact on Earth in several ways. Historically, their appearances in the sky have been recorded and thought to be omens. Scientifically, it is hypothesized that comets may have delivered water and organic compounds to Earth, contributing to the emergence of life.
Famous comets
Throughout history, certain comets have stood out. Halley’s Comet, with its predictable returns every 76 years, is perhaps the most famous. Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 became renowned for its spectacular collision with Jupiter in 1994, giving astronomers a front-row seat to cosmic impacts.
Observing comets
Comets can be a delight for amateur astronomers. When a comet is predicted to pass close to Earth, it can often be seen with the naked eye. Otherwise, binoculars or a small telescope can reveal the comet’s central nucleus and its gaseous coma.
Future of comet exploration
Space agencies have sent several missions to comets, such as ESA’s Rosetta, which orbited Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and deployed a lander to its surface. Future missions aim to learn more about the composition of comets and what they can tell us about the early solar system.
In summary, comets are more than just celestial beauty; they are time capsules holding clues to our solar system’s history. As they continue to be studied, they may reveal more secrets about the origins of Earth and other planets, and perhaps even life itself.
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Dr. Sarah Adams is a scientist and science communicator who makes complex topics accessible to all. Her articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
