‘Devil Comet’, Meteor Shower Peak Brightness Near In VA

VIRGINIA — Sky watchers in Virginia still have a few chances to see Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks in the early evening sky, but if they miss the so-called “devil comet” this time around, they may have missed it forever.

The comet earned its nickname in 2023 when an outburst gave it an asymmetrical appearance of having two horns, according to NASA. It’s currently racing toward the sun at about 40,000 mph and will be at its brightest on Sunday, April 21.

Weather permitting, you should be able to see it any time now. Look in the southwest sky just after sunset. The DC area forecast for clouds and showers through Thursday, clearing Thursday night, rain again Friday night, and partly cloudy Saturday through Tuesday evenings.

The periodic comet discovered by Jean-Louis Pons in 1812 and independently rediscovered by William Robert Brooks in 1883, comes around every 71 years. The comet has been getting brighter as it makes its closest approach to the sun, called perihelion.

Depending on how bright it is, the comet may be visible with the naked eye. But binoculars or a telescope will make it easier to see, according to NASA.

The greatest uncertainty in determining how easy it is to see a comet is in how much dust and gas it will give off, as it is the sunlight illuminating these plumes that make the comet brighter, according to NASA meteor expert Gordon Johnston.

This particular comet has already had outbursts that have temporarily made it 10 to 100 times brighter, including the one last year that gave it its unusual appearance. As the comet moves closer to the sun, such outbursts become less likely.

Johnston reiterated the uncertainty in predicting when a comet will be at its brightest, quoting astronomer David H. Levy, who once observed, “Comets are like cats; they have tails, and they do precisely what they want.”

April is a good month for sky gazing in general. Orion, Gemini and Taurus are visible in the western sky, though they won’t be around for long. Jupiter is near the horizon.

Jupiter and Uranus will be in conjunction April 20. Uranus is so tiny, you’ll need binoculars or a telescope to see the two planets line up. The visiting comet should be close by for that, too.

The Moon And The Meteors

Also this month, the full moon is on April 23. It is also known as the full pink moon because it occurs at the time of year when wild ground phlox, a type of wildflower with pink petals, begins to bloom.

• Related: 2024 Guide To Meteors, Solar Eclipse, Full Moons And Supermoons

The timing of the full moon isn’t great for people anxious to see shooting stars. The Lyrid meteor shower, which runs April 15-29, peaks overnight April 21-22 just before the moon turns full.

It’s an average sky show, producing about 15 or 20 shooting stars an hour, but it historically has produced bright Lyrid fireballs that blaze across the sky and leave dust trails that last for several seconds, according to NASA. Fireballs can be bright enough to penetrate bright moonlight.

The Lyrids can fire off a surprise, though, with counts of as many as 100 shooting stars an hour, according to NASA. Sightings of these heavier showers occurred in Virginia in 1803, in Greece in 1922, Japan in 1945 and the United States in 1982.

The Eta Aquariids, which intersect with the Lyrids, offer a much better chance to see shooting stars. Sometimes called the Eta Aquarids, the meteor shower rambles along from April 15 to May 27, peaking around May 5-6, when the moon will appear about 14 percent full.

The Eta Aquariids have a broad peak, and that means skywatchers may see elevated numbers of meteors a few days before and after the peak. At the peak, about 30 meteors may be seen an hour, although as many as 60 an hour have been reported, according to NASA.

They’re known for speed, entering Earth’s atmosphere at about 148,000 miles an hour, and also for leaving glowing “trains” — incandescent bits of debris — that last for several seconds to minutes.