How To Spot Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks in Tonight’s Sky

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is rapidly getting brighter! Grab your binoculars and check it out tonight. Need a hand spotting it? Download the free Sky Tonight app and let the adventure begin. Soon enough, you might not even need binoculars — the comet could become visible to the naked eye within weeks. But hold on, there’s more! If you live in the USA, Canada, or Mexico, mark April 8 on your calendar because that’s when this space guest can appear in the day sky during the total solar eclipse.

 

Although the comet has surpassed the naked-eye visibility limit of magnitude 6.5, it’s still unlikely that you can currently spot it without binoculars. This is because the magnitude scale works well for pinpoint sources of light like stars or planets, but it’s not as reliable for diffuse objects like galaxies and comets because it measures the total light spread out over the object.

Comets typically become visible to the naked eye when they hit around magnitude 3. The comet will reach a magnitude of about 3 in April 2024. There is a chance it will become even brighter.

The “devil comet” Pons-Brooks is a cryovolcanic comet — an ice volcano flying through space. From time to time, it erupts, sending bursts of ice and gas into space, causing it to appear much brighter for the next few days.

If the comet undergoes such an eruption, it could become easily visible to the naked eye. Unfortunately, predicting these outbursts is extremely challenging, if not impossible.

Location of the Comet Pons-Brooks in March

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks travels from the constellation Andromeda to Pisces and then Aries throughout March. This month, the comet is visible high in the evening sky.

• March 12: 12P/Pons-Brooks (mag 5.2) passes 2° north of Delta Andromedae (mag 3.3).
• March 13-14: 12P/Pons-Brooks (mag 5.2) leaves Andromeda and enters the constellation Pisces.
• March 22: 12P/Pons-Brooks (mag 4.5) passes within 3° of the Pinwheel Galaxy or Messier 33 (mag 7.9), providing a great photo opportunity.
• March 26-27: 12P/Pons-Brooks (mag 4.2) moves from Pisces to Aries.
• March 31: 12P/Pons-Brooks (mag 3.8) is less than 0.5° from Hamal (mag 2.0), the brightest star in the constellation Aries.

Around this time, the Sun sets much later, which gives us less time of darkness to enjoy the comet. However, this is the time when it should be visible to the naked eye or, at least, very close to this.

Location of the comet Pons-Brooks in April

Comet Pons-Brooks begins the month in Aries and then moves into Taurus. It’s at a reasonable altitude at the beginning of April but moves closer to the Sun in our sky throughout the month.

• April 10: 12P/Pons-Brooks (mag 3.1) passes about 7° from the thin lunar crescent in the constellation Aries.
• April 12: 12P/Pons-Brooks (mag 3.0) passes about 5° from Jupiter and Uranus in Aries. About 13° above them, you can find the bright star cluster Pleiades (mag 1.2).
• April 19-20: 12P/Pons-Brooks (mag 3.0) moves from Aries to Taurus. Around this time, it becomes visible from the Southern Hemisphere.

(See StarWalk Astronomical News for more events and for the full article on 12p/PonsBrooks)

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The Planetary line-up for the April 8,  2024, Solar Eclipse (UniverseToday.com)

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TRECENA THE  OF ROAD/EB: The Sacred Journey of Time

Visit the 13-Day Trecena Guide for an overview of this trecena and a Count of Days that includes the aspects for each day. 

My gift for the Tzolk’in round is the “Tzolk’in Field Guide: A Daily Practice for Personal Discernment.” Volume 1 covers the first two seasons of the Tzolk’in round. The “Field Guide” is available to download from a link on the 13-day Trecena Guide Page.

11 Wind/IK (Cherokee, Whirlwind/AGALU’GA) – Day 11 of 13 of the 1 Road/EB Trecena

Descriptions by Ian Xel Lungold, 12 Sun/AHAU,  from MayanMajix.com

Galactic Tone 11: Resolution; 11 assists every new thing to find its place in the universe in the process of ‘fitting in.’ some modifications must occur. Eleven is the energy of dynamic actions facilitating change, simplification and improvement.

Wind/IK: Breath of Spirit, breath of life. Winds embody the power of dissemination and planting of good seeds or ideas. Dreamers and planners with powerful imaginations, Wind persons make great orators and they spread the word of spiritual inspiration as it is carried by the wind. Wind is the power behind the movement of natural cycles such as weather, erosion, and cultural change. As the wind, these persons are extremely changeable and adaptable. They may appear inconsistent or fickle to others. Wind can be destructive to self and others by putting on airs. When Winds strut and boast, expanding on facts and accomplishments, they are building the dark clouds of trouble that may become hurricanes.

A GOOD DAY TO: Send Communications of all kinds. (And, a good day to raise our Voice in prayer.)

Cherokee, Whirlwind/AGALU’GA: Whirlwind’s symbol is a double spiral helix in rising smoke. Wind brings energy for an Inquiring mind, learning and wisdom. In Cherokee, the constellations are represented by 12 birds (dancers), the 13th bird is the Whirlwind, the lead dancer. This reflects the whirling of life. Wind is the breath of the Universe (matching the Mayan symbol) channel of communication and carries the Sacred Smoke to the Great Spirit (Source- Hunab Ku in Mayan); matches the pulse of the breath of the Cosmos.

[Text in italics was the primary source of inspiration for my journal. These are the sources that started my journey and they are the reference for interpretation each day. By providing the original text, I hope to offer a way to see what inspired my thoughts and by including all the aspects – allow for something more to inspire you. Mayan descriptions are those written by Ian Lungold. Cherokee descriptions came from multiple sources. Links to sources and other resources of study are offered on the Daykeeper Resources Page. ~Debra]