SUNSET: 
0
Photographer:
Jon Greif
Location of Photo:
Alpine CA USA
Date/Time of photo:
March 14, 2024, at 8:00 pm PST
Equipment:
ZWO SeeStar S50 "smart" Scope. Processing in Pixinsight 1.8.9 on an M1 MacBook Pro.
Description:
A brief break in the cloud cover last night allowed a peek at Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, a Halley-type periodic comet that was first discovered by Jean-Louis Pons on July 12, 1812 and then independently rediscovered by William Robert Brooks in 1883. It has an orbital period of about 71.3 years and is currently approaching perihelion, it's closest approach to the Sun. It is expected to reach its maximum brightness (potentially visible to the naked eye) next month. With its closest approach occurring just a few days before the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, it presents a unique opportunity to potentially view the comet during the eclipse. Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is currently in the constellation of Andromeda, at a distance of 151,782,217 miles from Earth.
