Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks' tail visible in the Southern Hemisphere sky, captured over Chile's Atacama Desert

Iain Todd

Published: June 17, 2024 at 2:36 am

Northern Hemisphere observers will fondly remember the appearance of Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks in our skies, as the Devil Comet became one of the big highlights of a wonderful array of comets visible during the first half of 2024. The comet even made an appearance during the 8 April eclipse, as something of a grand finale before its final exit.

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks disappeared from our skies as April 2024 drew to a close, and is now visible in the Southern Hemisphere night sky, as this image from comet-chaser José J. Chambó shows.

José captured it from the Atacama Desert, world-famous as an astronomical dark-sky site and home of the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope and ALMA array.



Comet 12P/Pons–Brooks in the Southern Hemisphere sky, captured remotely over the Atacama Desert, Chile by José J. Chambó. Click to expand. Credit: José J. Chambó (www.cometografia.es)


"Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks continues to offer its spectacle from the Southern Hemisphere," José says.
"In this image, taken remotely on 29 May 2024 from the Atacama Desert, I finally achieved the freedom to capture a clear view of the display of tails emanating from its greenish coma.

More:
https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/news/comet-12p-pons-brooks-southern-hemisphere