The Devil Comet will be visible at night until April 2. Then it will transition into the daytime sky and may momentarily become visible during the total solar eclipse on April 8. Weather permitting. 

Officially named Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, the Devil Comet appears around every 71.3 years and won’t be visible again until 2095.

The Devil Comet only recently received its nickname due to pointy horn shapes shooting from the comet as it erupts dust, gases, and ice as a cryovolcanic comet. It is also lovingly named the “Millenium Falcon” comet after the similarly shaped Star Wars spaceship. 

Stargazers can find the Devil Comet west-north-west after sunset with a pair of binoculars. It will appear in the constellation Pieces until it transitions into Taurus around April 21. 

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks/Devil Comet is about 10.5 miles across and about the size of Mount Everest. 

Originally documented in 1812 by Jean-Louis Pons and then confirmed again in 1883 by William Brooks. 

Timeline of Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks aka the Devil Comet 

Now through April 2: Visible in the night sky

April 8: Visible during a total solar eclipse

April 21: Closest pass of the Sun 

June 2: Closest pass of Earth at around 139.4 million miles (224.4 million kilometers) away 

Credit

Image credit Dan Bartlett