Night Sky: the Pons-Brooks Comet, a partial eclipse, and more highlights for April

Watch Out for the Devil Comet!

This is the Devil Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks on the night of March 11. It’s called the Devil Comet because it tends to change its shape and brightness rather abruptly! Some researchers believe this is caused by volcanic eruptions which release internal gases from its core.

Currently, the Devil Comet is about 150 million miles away from us and has a visual magnitude of +5.6. That means we should be able to see it with the naked eye, but so far, I’ve only been able to see it through my telescope. The core of this comet is about 18 miles in diameter and is believed to be composed of rock and ice.

The Pons-Brooks Comet takes 71 years to orbit the Sun! So, take the opportunity to see it!

Comet 12P will be near the Western horizon just after sundown for most of April. On April 1, it will be about 15 degrees north of Due East. That means it will be slightly north of Jupiter – almost directly above Mercury.

The is M104, the Sombrero Galaxy. It’s believed to be part of the Virgo cluster of galaxies, but there is a bit of controversy about that. The dark line that seems to divide the galaxy into top and bottom is a massive band of dust!

M104 is 28 million light years away from us and has a visual magnitude of +8.12. It was discovered in 1767 by Pierre Mechain.

What you can look for in March’s Night Skies

A partial eclipse of the Sun will take place on April 8 starting at 2:04 p.m. We will only see about 70% of the eclipse but it will still be fun to watch. The peak of the eclipse will be at 3:20 p.m. If you want to see the total eclipse, you are going to have to head west to Indianapolis.

DO NOT LOOK AT THE SUN WITHOUT SOLAR ECLISPE GLASSES!

You can order eclipse glasses from Amazon or purchase them at Walmart. Failure to wear proper protective glasses can result in significant eye damage or blindness!

Mars, Saturn, and Venus will be visible in the eastern skies just before sunrise! Mars rises at 5:24 a.m. Saturn rises at 5:43 and Venus follows at 6:12. The Sun rises at 6:47.

In the evening, you should be able to see Jupiter and Mercury slightly above the western horizon just after sundown. You can also look for Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks. It’s supposed to be visible to the naked eye, but I’d bring along a good set of binoculars to increase your odds of seeing it.

Moon Phases:

Last Quarter is April 1

New Moon is April 8

1st Quarter is April 15

Full Moon is April 23