When the moon blots the sun on April 8, the devil will follow.
Or rather, a “devilish” comet.
The “Devil Comet” expected to appear during the eclipse is Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, known for its greenish appearance and “horns” that emit dust, gases, and ice due to a buildup of pressure, according to the Royal Astronomical Society. The comet itself is about the same size as Mount Everest.
On its approach, a total solar eclipse will be visible from North America as it makes its path from Texas all the way northeast to Maine on April 8. This path of totality indicates when and where the 31.6 million people living along that path are expected to see the eclipse happening, weather pending, according to NBC News.
The comet will be visible during the eclipse at only 25 degrees away from the sun, according to NASA. The body is on the edge of visibility to the naked eye and should be seen in the early evening hours in the direction of the constellation Pisces. Its arrival will put “on quite a show for deep camera images,” NASA said.
“Although it is always difficult to predict the future brightness of comets, Comet Pons-Brooks has been particularly prone to outbursts, making it even more difficult to predict how bright it will actually be as the Moon moves in front of the Sun on April 8,” NASA said.
The green color comes from “a molecule called dicarbon … absorbs sunlight and re-radiates some of it with that characteristic green tinge,” Dr. Robert Massey, deputy executive director at the Royal Astronomical Society, said in a statement.
“Don’t expect it to be dazzlingly bright – the kind of image you see in photographs. It’s not going to be like that,” Massey said. “This is something that might just be visible to the naked eye if you don’t have a moon in the sky, if there’s no light pollution and if the weather is really clear, then you might stand a chance. But for most of us, we’re going to need to pick up a pair of binoculars.”
Every 71 years, the comet makes a complete orbit where it gets close to Earth, the society said. By April 21, the comet will make its closest approach, or perihelion, to the sun, 74.4 million miles, according to Astronomy, before it reaches its closest point to Earth on June 2, at 144 million miles, AL.com said.
After this year, those on Earth can expect to see the comet make its return trip to the inner Solar System in 2095, the society said.
