A comet could trigger the 2024 solar eclipse. This is the place to look.

Next month, eclipse enthusiasts will try to see more than just the corona when the moon completely covers the sun in parts of North America.

During the April 8 total solar eclipse, viewers have a slim chance of seeing the comet with the naked eye or with standard binoculars.

12/P Comet Ponce-Brooks appears in the inner solar system every 71 years and will make its closest approach to the sun within two weeks of the April 21 solar eclipse. The timing of this visit means it can be seen during the brief dusk when the sun is blocked. Tony Farnham, an astronomer at the University of Maryland with expertise in cometary activity, said the key will be whether the comet – a space snowball – suddenly explodes, called an outburst, over a day or so.

“Its predicted brightness is right at the limit of most people’s ability to see that brightness, and that’s in a dark Farnham told Mashable. But “the problem with this comet is that it has a history of outbursts, several of which are actually quite large.”

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During the lunar eclipse, the moon will cast its shadow across the continent, starting on the west coast of Mexico at 11:07 a.m. PT, from Texas to Maine and through Ontario, according to NASA The province enters Canada and then leaves the Atlantic coast from the island of Newfoundland. 5:16 PM (NDT time). Major U.S. cities on this so-called “holistic path” will include Dallas, Indianapolis and Cleveland.

For residents, a total eclipse is a rare opportunity to view the Sun’s glowing corona, the outer layer of the Sun’s atmosphere that is usually overwhelmed by the brighter Sun’s surface. For the tens of millions of people watching along the shadow’s path, the peak moment will last up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds.

Comets are spectacular astronomical events in their own right. They are giant spheres of ice, dust and rock that formed in the outer solar system, remnants of the early stages of planet formation some 4.6 billion years ago. As they get closer to the sun, their ice begins to break down, instantly changing from solid to gas, skipping the liquid phase. This process creates their signature tails, millions-mile-long trails of fragments of vaporized material.

Hundreds of years ago, comets were considered a bad omen. Today, scientists know that these icy bodies are time capsules of the ancient solar system. Some astronomers believe that comets brought water and organic compounds—the building blocks of life—to early Earth.

In the months leading up to April 8, eclipse cartographer Michael Zeiler had been mentally planning his precious 4.5 minutes of totality.

“I’m going to look for that comet quickly,” he said. “But it wouldn’t take me more than 10 seconds or so to do it.”

Mix and match speed of light

The massive comet – which may have a core as wide as 21 miles – has been compared to Star Wars‘ The Millennium Falcon or a horned demon due to its unusual shape. Experts don’t fully understand what causes the coma, the cloud of gas surrounding its core, to distort. Pons-Brooks, recently nicknamed the “Devil’s Comet,” last passed by in 1954.

How to find Comet Ponce-Brooks during a solar eclipse

Recently, the comet suddenly appeared in the Andromeda Galaxy in the evening sky. But during a solar eclipse, it should be near Jupiter.

To find it, Farnham recommends looking to the left of the total eclipsing Sun. About a hand’s length away should be Jupiter, which appears as a bright point of light, like a star. Using that planet as a reference, you may spot nearby comets as you scan around them with binoculars.

“If you look up nearby and see something fuzzy, that’s a comet,” he said.

“If you look up nearby and see something fuzzy, that’s a comet.”

Remember, it is safe to use regular binoculars to view a solar eclipse when the Sun is completely hidden, but never use them during a partial eclipse, even if only the edges are exposed. Direct sunlight can also damage the optics of cameras, binoculars, or telescopes, including the filters on eclipse protective glasses (if people wear protective glasses when viewing through these devices).

Still, astronomers are tempering expectations for a glimpse of Pons-Brooks’ star. Nalin Samarasinha, a senior scientist and comet expert at the Planetary Science Institute, said that the peak magnitude of Halley’s Comet in 1986 was about the same as predicted on April 8, and that he could not see Halley’s Comet with the naked eye. . Predawn sky, lighting conditions similar to those of a total solar eclipse.

“I really doubt this is a visible object (at least not with my eyesight),” he wrote in an email.

But for people planning to take photos during totality, Samarasinghe said it’s worth trying long exposures with a wide-angle camera, as Pembrokes may create faint photo bombs, especially when it explodes.

What causes comets to explode?

Although scientists don’t know the exact cause of the burst, one possibility is that heat waves from the Sun entered cracks, or pockets, in the comet’s core, causing volatile gases to evaporate and eject material in a burst of energy. Another possibility is that as the comet evolves, cliffs or cliffs may form on the comet’s nucleus, exposing fresh material that subsequently becomes active.

Changing dynamics are the reason Farnham studies comets in the first place: They’re full of surprises. He plans to travel to central Texas to view the eclipse, and he’ll take a look at Pons Brooks.

“If you see something, that’s great, but if you don’t, the real story is the eclipse,” he said.

This article was originally published on March 9, 2024 and has been updated.