Comets, asteroids, meteor showers, there is plenty to watch in the night sky for those who love stargazing. If you are also one of those who loves seeing these wondrous celestial objects, then the year 2024 has some amazing skygazing opportunities for you. Two specific incidents involving comets are something you should look forward to. Two comets will grace the skies this year and might even be visible with the naked eye. One of these comets has notoriously been named the “Devil Comet” and has attracted plenty of attention these past few months.
Which two comets can we see in 2024?
The two comets you can see this year are – Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks and Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS. The first one is a known comet for the longest time while the second one was recently discovered in 2023. Comet Pons-Brooks, also known as the “Devil Comet”, will appear in spring, that is around March-April, while Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS will be visible in September-October.
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, aka “Devil Comet”
This comet makes an appearance every 71 years and will come extremely close to the sun this spring. Incidentally, this is also the time when a total solar eclipse will also occur, one that will be visible in more than a dozen American states. The total solar eclipse is already generating quite a buzz in the States.
Coming back to the comet, this comet has been exploding at regular intervals leading to the formation of so-called horns, thus giving it the nickname “Devil Comet”. This comet has exploded at least four times till now. It is an icy space-rock and is touted to be bigger than Mount Everest. It is expected to shine extremely brightly around the end of March, so much so that you might even be able to see it with naked eyes. However, binoculars are probably the safest bet.
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS
This comet is a new member of our skies and was discovered just last year. It is expected to come extremely close to Earth around fall season and might be visible with the naked eye owing to its brightness. However, the brightness of this comet might keep changing and you’ll need to follow its journey closely to know the best time to watch it.