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Clear view: A man watches the sky at 12P/Pons-Brooks from Pico de Las Nieves on Gran Canaria on Monday
Photo: Borja Suarez / REUTERS
In the coming weeks, the chances of observing a special celestial event will increase - via telescope, binoculars or, with a bit of luck, with the naked eye.
The comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, whose core is estimated to be around 30 kilometers in diameter, approaches the sun on an elliptical orbit in its 71-year cycle.
This means that the celestial body can be seen from Earth again for the first time since 1954.
According to the Association of Star Friends, the conditions for this are best at the end of March to the beginning of April.
If the evening sky is clear, the comet can be found using star maps, currently in the constellation Andromeda.
The first images such as those by comet expert Michael Jäger have already been published on social networks - the comet's tail can be clearly seen.
12P/Pons-Brooks is said to have been observed in China several centuries ago.
It is named after the astronomers Jean-Louis Pons and William Robert Brooks, who observed it in 1812 and 1883.
The comet could look particularly spectacular for observers in North America during the solar eclipse expected on April 8th.
The comet will come closest to the sun on April 21st, and the closest distance to Earth is expected to be around 1.5 astronomical units (around 225 million kilometers) on June 2nd.
However, the comet can then no longer be seen from the northern hemisphere.
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