12P/Pons – Brooks 29th/03/2024 – Aries – 4.8 Mag 20:58 – 21:07 UT
Gel pens and pastels on paper. 200mm dob/32mm eyepiece, 70 degrees FOV/1,200mm FL/ 37.5X / 12 degrees from the Atlantic. The comet’s approximate distance from Earth at the time was 241,170,534 km / 149856422 miles. Drawing not rotated – Killadoon, Co Mayo, Ireland
Draw the comet
I got the dob out with a bit of help. The comet was quickly found by hopping from Jupiter to Hamal and then the comet by moving right from Jupiter. As it was an opportunity to draw 12P/Pons-Brooks, I got started right away, as here in the west, the sky can be full of clouds in minutes. With no moon rising till 23:00. Plus even that would have been shielded from my target by the significant presence of Killadoon Hill behind me. I thought I was on for something interesting. I used a fine white gel pen for the dim stars and a medium gel pen for the center of the comet. Pastel for the coma.
Describe the comet
I was surprised by the dim stars I could draw in the less-than-dark part of my Bortle 2 sky. The Milky Way was magnificent, and Orion looked excellent, but I focused on my target. The centre of the coma looked extra white, dense, and bright; the rest of the coma looked round like an Alka Seltzer doing its thing in water. The sky’s brightness must have obscured the gas tail at the time. I could see no tail or other structures within the head. However there is a hint of a tail keeping in mind my drawing is not rotated. I wished I could grab the comet and put in it any other darker spot in the sky.
Change tactic to suit the conditions
As the comet offered me less detail than I would have liked, my tactic changed. The alternative was to record the comet’s movement against the starfield over time. I decided to try again a little later. So, at 21:30, I popped out. However, all but two stars in my drawing vanished. Alas, that was it for the night. The usual black cloud on the horizon was waiting once again to gobble up whatever came its way.
For now, (April 1st) 12P/Pons-Brooks is on the Jupiter side (left) of Hamal. You should find it if you scan between the two with even 10X50 binoculars. It is a fuzzy blob moving in the direction of Jupiter over the next week or so. This was my third time recording Pons-Brooks, perhaps my last time. I’m glad I got a look, as it will not return until 2095. Comets are often elusive, sometimes action-packed, and always enjoyable to find and follow across the night sky.
