Massive ‘devil comet’ explodes AGAIN: Astronomers capture largest outburst  that was brighter than a galaxy 600 million light years from Earth – as the space rock races toward our planet

The massive “Devilish Comet” exploded for the fourth time on Tuesday, releasing the largest burst of bright light to date.

An astronomer captured this event in an image hours after it began, revealing the atmosphere of comet 12P/Pons-Brooks as a perfect circle.

The space rock is about 18 miles in diameter, and is described as a “cold volcano” because it violently spews ice and gas.

12P/Pons-Brooks suddenly brightened more than 100 times as bright as an elliptical galaxy 600 million light-years from Earth.

The comet has been described as the “Devil’s Comet” due to the presence of two “horns” during previous explosions as it headed towards Earth.

However, astronomers have not detected signs of a dark corridor in the coma, and they believe that pods may not sprout this time.

Based in Arizona Elliot Herman He has been tracking the comet, and on Thursday shared a post that read: “Comet 12P appears to be showing more frequent explosions, and a new explosion has now become apparent just two weeks after the previous one.”

“This new explosion is the fourth since the show began in July.” Gaps due to cloudy nights.

Comets consist of a core of ice, dust and small rocky particles, surrounded by an outer “coma” – a hazy cloud of gases.

12P/Pons-Brooks is known as a cold volcanic or cold volcanic comet, which exhibits volcanic activity.

But instead of spewing molten rock and lava like a volcano on Earth, a cryovolcanic comet spews a mixture of gases and ice.

When a cold, volcanic comet approaches the Sun — as 12P/Pons-Brooks does — it heats up, causing increased pressure in the nucleus.

The pressure builds until the nitrogen and carbon monoxide explode, spewing icy debris through large cracks in the core’s crust.

These gaseous streams can form distinctive shapes when viewed through a telescope, such as devil’s horns, also described as a horseshoe or the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars.

Hermann is tracking the comet, which witnessed previous outbursts on July 20, October 5, and November 1.

“This comet has been widely reported in the news as the ‘Devilish Comet’ due to two previous explosions that gave rise to a horned devil,” Herman said following the Nov. 1 explosion.

“On Halloween, the devil exploded again with a huge eruption that lasted until the next day.”

The comet’s name is derived from the two astronomers who discovered it – Jean-Louis Pons and William Robert Brooks.

It was first discovered by Pons in 1812 and Brooks again in 1883, determining that Satan’s Comet returns to our solar system every 71 years.

“Since the nineteenth century, at least seven large eruptions have been observed, Space climate Reports.

“2023 is on pace to match this number in just one year.”

The comet is scheduled to reach its closest point in its orbit to Earth in June 2024, but it will pass at a safe distance.

After reaching the closest point to the planet, this space rock will return under the force of gravity to the outer solar system and will not return until 2095.