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‘Horned' Comet, 3 times bigger than Mount Everest, heading to Earth
The comet's diameter of 18.6 miles is equivalent to the size of a small city
Image used for illustrative purpose.
A huge "horned" comet, three times the size of Mount Everest, exploded and is now heading towards Earth, scientists said. The comet, 12P/Pons-Brooks, is known for its cold volcanic activity, according to a report in Live Science. Originally spotted by Jean-Louis Pons in 1812, comet 12P is said to be one of only 20 comets known to have active ice volcanoes.
The comet's diameter of 18.6 miles is equivalent to the size of a small city. For context, the highest peak on Earth, Mount Everest, stands at 29,029 feet, which is about 5.5 miles in height.
The comet exploded due to solar radiation on its interior, resulting in increased pressure. This, in turn, forced its icy material to be expelled through openings in its shell, giving rise to the distinctive horn-like shape.
According to the New York Post, Richard Miles, a member of the British Astronomical Association (BAA), suggested, “The two ‘horns’ may be caused by a peculiarly-shaped cryovolcanic vent with some sort of blockage causing the material to be expelled with a weird flow pattern.”
Certain experts noted that the irregular shape of the comet's coma gives it the appearance of a science fiction spacecraft, resembling the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars.
The BAA has been closely monitoring the comet, and scientists observed the second explosion on October 5. They noticed that Comet 12P became much brighter than usual because of the additional light reflecting from its expanded coma.
Images of the explosion were captured by Jose Manuel Perez Redondo using a 2.0-m Faulkes Telescope North situated on the Hawaiian island of Maui. While the comet is currently on a trajectory toward Earth, it will take some time before it gets close to our planet.
According to LiveScience, the comet is expected to reach its closest point to Earth on April 21, 2024. It will then be flung back into the solar system and won't return until the year 2095.
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