Mumbai, October 17: A comet named 12P has exploded and is hurtling towards Earth, sounding a doomsday alert. The comet is described as “horned” and is three times bigger than Mount Everest. The explosion occurred on October 5, 2023, and the comet measures a colossal 18.3 miles in diameter, or the size of a small city. The blast was detected by the British Astronomical Association, which is closely monitoring 12P. The comet is expected to be visible from Earth in April 2024. NASA James Webb Space Telescope Uncovers Mystery, Finds Water Around a Comet in Main Asteroid Belt for the First Time.

The New York Post reported that the explosion was caught after astronomers detected a large outburst from 12P, after the comet became dozens of times brighter due to the extra light reflecting from its expanded coma. For the unversed, the coma is the cloud of gas surrounding the centre of the comet.

The comet is categorised as a cryovolcanic or cold volcano comet and has an active volcano atop it. The comet’s core, measuring about 30 kilometres in diameter, comprises a combination of gas, dust, and ice, collectively referred to as “cryomagma”. James Webb Space Telescope Closely Detects a Distant Mysterious Planet With Steamy Atmosphere.

The eruption of the volcano caused the comet to emit a cloud of gas and ice that appeared like a gigantic pair of horns. The irregular shape of the comet obstructed the pressure buildup, causing the appearance of “horns” in the way the 22 billion pounds of dust and ice that were expelled are now reflecting the sun. However, it will eventually disappear as the debris becomes too dispersed to catch sunlight. The Science Times reported this as the second time this interstellar ice cube erupted in the last four months, with the last celestial event occurring in July.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 17, 2023 11:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).