Travelers in the Night Eps. 795 & 796: Spiral Comet & Comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchoś)

May 25, 2025

Discover the fascinating history of Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, which dazzles every 71 years with its spiral jets of gas. Learn about its rediscovery and how electronic cameras capture its unique structure. Delve into the excitement of a new comet, C/2024 E1, recently discovered in Draco, whose brightness remains a mystery until its orbit intersects with Earth in 2025. Uncover how community contributions play a vital role in the advancement of astronomical discoveries.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Spiral Jets in Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks has a nucleus with spiral arms created by gas jets.
The nucleus rotates once every 57 hours, shaping these spiral patterns like a lawn sprinkler.

ANECDOTE

Discovery of Comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchoś)

On March 3, 2024, Kacper Wierzchoś discovered a new comet moving through Draco.
The comet is large and bright even far from the Sun, suggesting an origin in deep space.

INSIGHT

Uncertain Brightness of Comet C/2024 E1

Predicting the brightness of Comet C/2024 E1 is uncertain without knowing its chemical composition.
It will cross Earth's orbit multiple times in late 2025 and early 2026, with peak brightness possibly best seen from the Southern Hemisphere.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app