Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is brightening and can be seen in the western sky after sunset with a good pair of binoculars and good viewing conditions (dark and clear).
Comet Pons-Brooks returns every 71 years. Its ion tail, visible in deep camera exposures, is pushed by solar wind and points away from the Sun. The comet may brighten enough to be visible during the April 8 solar eclipse!
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks was “discovered” in1812 at Marseilles Observatory by Jean-Louis Pons and on its next appearance in 1883 by William Robert Brooks. although there are records of its observations in 1385 and 1457.
Perihelion will be on 21 April 2024, closest approach to Earth on 2 June 2024. Peak brightness is expected in the 3rd week of April.
Hope you get a chance to see it.
Here are few more pics -
Now let’s set our eyes on today’s puzzle composed by noted chess composer Edith Elina Helen Baird (1859 –1924) in 1889. During her time, she was the most prolific composer of chess problems in the world and was sometimes referred to in the press as the "Queen of Chess". She published under her married name as Mrs. W. J. Baird.
P.S.
The chess puzzle is published on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. ET.
It is customary for advanced players to wait till midnight ET before posting the full solution. Before then, they provide some stats about the solution (e.g., the minimum number of distinct checkmate moves), help guide others, and sometimes post hints. But there are no hard-and-fast rules; feel free to post comments as you please.