Stargazers in the Sultanate will be able to witness the Comet Pons
Brooks passing at its closest distance of 116.8 million kilometers (km) to the
Sun on April 21, reaching its maximum brightness of magnitude 4.2, expected
visible to the naked eye.
The 12P/Pons-Brooks is visible in the country for the first time in more
than seven decades – and it won’t be returning until 2095.
According to the Astronomical Society of Brunei Darussalam (PABD),
comets can be unpredictable for its sudden flare-ups in brightness. Therefore,
viewers may get a chance to catch a sight of the comet.
From Brunei, the comet will set in the west-northwest, hovering about 10
degrees above the horizon in the evening twilight all through April.
Like other comets, 12P/Pons-Brooks is a cosmic wanderer about triple the
size of Mount Everest, made of a mixture of ice and rocky materials. As it
approaches the Sun, these volatile matters transform to gas and dust causing an
expansive cloud (coma) and a distinctive tail.
By the end of April, it fades very rapidly and moves back out into
space. Comet Pons-Brooks will take another 71 years to complete another full
journey around the sun – a once in a lifetime experience to see the cosmic
wanderer.
The extraterrestrial object should appear as a fuzzy green blob with a
hazy tail as viewed from a small telescope or binoculars.
Viewers are advised to wait for darkness (after 7.15 pm) to attempt to
photograph the cosmic phenomenon. A tripod, attached with a medium lens and
point the camera towards the west horizon is recommended for a stellar shot.
From the northern hemisphere, comet 12P will remain viewable for the
next one or two weeks before disappearing into the bright sun’s glare and
proceeding into the southern sky. – James Kon
