Comet 12P Pons-Brooks fading coma
Taken by Eliot Herman on November 21, 2023 @
Utah Desert Observatory
Click photo for larger image
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Details:
Comet 12P Pons-Brooks is a fascinating body that on this return pass through the inner Solar System has displayed unusual features. There have been four major outbursts of cryovolcanism since July 2023. The first two outbursts produced the "Devil Comet" structure. The most recent outburst on November 14th 2023 produced a dark line that has persisted for many days. By November 20th the coma has become more transparent and stars have begun to shine through the coma. On November 20th a star was captured within the black line (Left) that appears scattered by the coma, and the black line now has faded with the coma's optical density invading the line. By November 21, the coma is continuing to fade and the black line is now substantially faded. Also of note the jet of the cryovolcanism has also faded on the November 20th and even more by the 21st. The black line is a weird enigma of this comet and as it fades and how it fades can constrain models of its origin.
both images iTelescope T11 9 x 60 sec
Photographer's website:
https://flic.kr/p/2phfpSR
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