Mother of Dragons' comet
03-04-2024
11:30 AM
1 min read
Overview:
A rare, formerly-horned comet that astronomers have dubbed the "Mother of Dragons" is now visible after dusk in the Northern Hemisphere.
About Mother of Dragons' Comet
- It is officially known as Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks.
- It is a ‘Halley-type’ comet with an orbital period of roughly 71 years and a nucleus approximately 30 km wide.
- Composition: Itis composed of ice, dust, and rocky material. When it approaches the Sun, heat causes the ice inside the comet to turn from solid to gas.
- It is classified as a Jupiter-family comet, meaning its orbit is influenced by Jupiter's gravitational pull.
- It typically reaches perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) around the orbit of Mars and can become visible to observers on Earth during its close approach.
- Its closest approach to Earth will occur in June 2024.
Key facts about Comets
- Comets are ancient cosmic icebergs. They are roughly 4.6 billion years old and formed at the same time as the Sun, Earth and the other planets.
- They are made of dust and ice, which partly goes from solid to gas when the comet is warmed by the Sun.
Related Topics:
Q1:What is Halley's Comet?
It is also known as 1P/Halley, is the most well known comet in the Solar System. As a periodic (or short-term comet) it has an orbital period that is less than 200 years, and has therefore been observed more than once by people here on Earth over the centuries.
Source: Mother of Dragons comet visible in the skies. All you need to know