11 March 2024 , 16:04
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A photographer has captured a jaw-dropping image of a Halley-type comet over Somerset.
Josh Dury, 26, shot 12P/PonsBrooks on March 6 and also managed to get the Andromeda galaxy in the frame. The landscape astrophotographer took the picture from Compton Martin in the Mendip Hills. 12P/PonsBrooks is one of the brightest known periodic comets, with an orbital period of 71 years, whereas Halley's Comet is visible from Earth every 7579 years.
Josh said: "This image was not an easy one to capture on so many levels. The amount of times having to move around to capture a composition I was satisfied with eventually paid off. What opened my eyes with this photo is the amount of light pollution visible from my homelands. I am aware The Mendips sits on the Bortle Scale between 3/4.
"Even with the surrounding skyglow of Bristol and Weston-Super Mare, the comet was visible, but not impossible to tease out those finer details. Comets are fascinating subjects. Ancient, icy visitors to the Solar System; and be greeted with clear skies has been such a treat."
Josh Dury (Josh Dury/SWNS)"Not only was it possible to capture distortions in the comets 'ion' tail from the Sun's 'solar wind', it appeared close to the Andromeda Galaxy (M31). It just shows the universe never stands still in visualising the depth of the universe."
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Sky watchers will be on the lookout for 12 P/Pons-Brooks as it is predicted to brighten throughout March, and may even become visible to the naked-eye.
The Andromeda Galaxy is a large spiral galaxy located about 2.537 million light-years from Earth in the constellation of Andromeda. It is the nearest spiral galaxy to the Milky Way, making it one of the most studied galaxies by astronomers. The galaxy is visible to the naked eye from Earth under dark sky conditions and appears as a fuzzy patch of light.