"Spotting the 'Devil Comet' During its Close Encounter with Earth"

NASA's solar observatory STEREO-A is monitoring 'Devil Comet' 12P/Pons-Brooks as it approaches its closest point to the sun, while capturing footage of a coronal mass ejection (CME) launching into space. The comet's tail was affected by a CME, creating a kink, and it will pass within 72.6 million miles of the sun on April 21. The comet's sudden brightness changes have drawn attention, with speculation that it may contain active ice volcanoes. The comet gained the nickname 'Devil Comet' after a notable outburst in 2023, and its changing appearance has led to various comparisons, including to a horseshoe crab and the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars.