Orwell Astronomical Society (Ipswich)
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, 24-26 July 2023
During summer 2023, Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks was approaching perihelion, which will take place on 21 April 2024 at a distance from the Sun of 0.8 AU. On 20 July 2023, the comet underwent an outburst, brightening from magnitude 17 to magnitude 12. Post-outburst, the coma appears compact, and displays a dark lane, possibly caused by a sudden release of material with the nucleus acting as a blast shield.
Images below were taken on 24 and 26 July 2023.
Nigel Evans