The Devil's Diamond
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The Devil's Comet earned its nickname due to cryovolcanic activity. Explosions of gases have been observed and one image gave it a distinct horned aspect. Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is periodic, with an orbit every 71 years, making it a Halley-type comet. This year it was especially bright. I only had a few hours to image it after dusk, so I used a fast HyperStar system from the deck of some friends with an ocean view to avoid obstructions on the horizon. The comet is known for having an amazingly long and intricately detailed tail. It is in close proximity to bright star Hamal that glows like a diamond, hence: the Devil's diamond.
See where this image is located in space via the WorldWide Telescope.
Image details
| Telescope: | Celestron EdgeHD 9.25 (HyperStar) | |
| Length: | 510mm | |
| Aperture: | 235mm | |
| F-stop: | f/2.40 | |
| Sessions: | 1 | |
| Captured: | 2024-03-31 to 2024-03-31 | |
| Lights: | 130 | |
| Exposure: | 30 | |
| Total exposure: | 1 h | |
| Ra: | 2h 10m 26.4s | |
| Dec: | +23° 18' 59.184 | |
| Size: | 109.525 x 60.191 arcmin | |
| Radius: | 1.041 deg | |
| Scale: | 0.871 arcsec/pixel |
Thread the Needle
2024-03-18
Devil's Own
2024-03-31
The Galactic Menagerie of Comets, Galaxies and Things
2024-03-18