FOTO A Velikogorica Native in America Witnesses a Total Solar Eclipse, and Soon We’ll Be Seeing the ‘Devil’s Comet’!

“It was very strange and surreal! In just a few seconds, everything went completely dark, street lights had to be turned on, and it was very, very quiet. Even the birds couldn’t be heard. It was all quite eerie, and the temperature dropped by about ten degrees. And then, just as quickly as it disappeared, the sun reappeared, and the birds started singing… In any case, an unforgettable experience!” said 53-year-old Sasha Milanović, a Velikogorica native who grew up on Školska Street, calling in from Cleveland, where she has lived for over 30 years, in an interview with City Radio’s morning program host, Gianna Kotroman.

The total solar eclipse could be best observed on the so-called path of totality, from Mexico, through the United States, all the way to Canada, and due to this attractive astronomical event, five million tourists flocked to these areas.

But the celestial spectacles don’t end there, as we’re about to witness the periodic comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also known as the ‘devil’s comet’ or ‘demon comet,’ because it has horns!

As for the nickname ‘devilish’ or ‘demonic,’ it goes as follows. 12P/Pons-Brooks is a comet of the cold volcanic type, and its core is filled with a mixture of ice, dust, and gases. Due to the influence of solar radiation, the core occasionally erupts through cracks in the comet’s surface, so the expanding gaseous cloud resembles devilish horns. It will be brightest on April 21, so astronomical experts say it will be visible to the naked eye, but even telescopes or binoculars won’t be necessary. It will be closest to Earth on June 2, at a distance of ‘only’ 232 million kilometers.

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks visits us every 71 years, so this is a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ event! It was recorded in some Chinese and European historical sources as early as 1385 and 1457, but it was officially discovered by French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons in 1812.

For those who don’t want to miss out on this and even create lasting memories, we recommend the blog of astrophotographer Božan Štambuk, where you’ll find detailed instructions for observing and photographing.

And let’s add a touch of old beliefs to this text about unusual phenomena in the sky when it comes to comets. According to ancient traditions, the passage of comets causes great heat, but also brings some calamity, disease, to humans or animals. It heralds wartime events, and in some parts of the Earth, heavy floods and earthquakes are possible.

This post originally appeared on cityportal.hr.

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