You don't have to wait for April's solar eclipse to get your skygazing fix. The "devil comet," known for its bright outbursts, is now visible in the sky as it prepares to pass by Earth for the first time in 71 years.
The comet, officially known as 12P/Pons-Brooks, gets its devilish nickname due to its horn-like features, which are made up of ice and gas. The comet has been monitored by scientists since it was first spotted in 1812, and astronomers say this is the second time the space rock has sprouted horns.
When viewed through a telescope, experts say the enormous horns can be seen protruding from the rock as it hurtles through space at more than 40,000 miles per hour.
The comet is currently visible in the early evening sky with a telescope or binoculars pointed at the constellation Pisces, which is in the northern sky between Aries and Aquarius. It will soon be visible to the naked eye.
The comet takes just over 71 years to make its journey around the sun and through space, and will next reach perihelion — when it's closest to the sun — on April 21. The timing means that the comet will appear about 25 degrees away from the sun during the April 8 total solar eclipse, according to NASA.
While the comet will hit speeds of more than 100,000 miles per hour as it passes Earth, scientists say there is no danger to humans.
NASA said the comet is already putting on quite a show, with deep camera images showing three very specific colors: an ever-changing ion tail in light blue, an outer coma in green, and some red-glowing gas around the coma in a spiral.
"The spiral is thought to be caused by gas being expelled by the slowly rotating nucleus of the giant iceberg comet," the agency said.
Although it's difficult to predict the brightness of comets, NASA said the devil comet is particularly prone to outbursts, which causes the comet to appear brighter as it sheds material along its path.
The comet will make one more appearance in the night sky on June 2, 2024, before it takes off into space, not to be seen again until 2095.