"Rare Sight: 'Devil Comet' and Total Solar Eclipse Illuminate April Night Sky"

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also known as the 'Mother of Dragons' comet, is visible in the night sky for observers in the northern hemisphere, offering a rare opportunity for astronomers to witness its spectacular outbursts of gas and dust. This 'Halley-type' comet, with an orbital period of roughly 71 years, will reach its closest point to Earth in June 2024, but the best viewing opportunities are in late March and early April. Comets like 12P/Pons-Brooks are ancient cosmic icebergs that provide valuable insights into the formation and evolution of the Solar System. ESA has launched missions to study comets and asteroids up close, including Rosetta's rendezvous with comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko and the upcoming Comet Interceptor mission targeting a newly discovered comet entering the inner Solar System for the first time.