Bigger than Mount Everest - Devil comet is approaching to Earth

Just when things were already a bit scary, scientists found a "horned" comet three times bigger than Mount Everest. This comet, called 12P/Pons-Brooks, is like a huge ice volcano in space and it's about 18.6 miles wide, which is as big as a small city. To compare, Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth, is only about 5.5 miles high.

This is the second time in the last four months that this icy comet has burst into action, with the last event happening in July. The British Astronomical Association noticed it getting way brighter because of the light bouncing off the gas cloud around its centre. So, yes, something big is happening up there in the sky!

The reason for the horns on the comet isn't clear, but experts think it might be because of the shape of the comet's core, kind of like a space pasta strainer.

Photo: Comet

Richard Miles from the British Astronomical Association says the horns could be caused by a special-shaped vent on the comet that's blocked, making stuff come out in a strange way.

But don't get too worried about a "Deep Impact" movie scenario just yet. This comet, which goes around the sun every 71 years, won't come super close to Earth until 2024 when we'll be able to see it without a telescope.

After that, it'll head back into space and won't return until 2095. This is the second time it's burst into action since July, with the horn-like things being 7,000 times wider than the comet itself during the eruption.

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