'Devil Comet' 3 times bigger than Mt Everest heading towards Earth; details

It is expected that in April 2024 the comet may be visible to the naked eye

Scientists have announced that a comet is hurtling towards Earth, much larger than Mount Everest. In fact, it's three times bigger. They call it the "Devil Comet" because it looks like it has horns. 

This enormous comet known as 12P/Pons-Brooks might be visible without a telescope as it gets closer to Earth, they said.

All you need to know about the Devil Comet

On October 5 and October 7, the Devil Comet erupted. This event provided astronomers with extra footage that revealed two horns emerging from the comet, according to the New York Post (NYT).

The comet is called a cryovolcanic, meaning it's a cold volcano. It's about 30 kilometres wide. Some experts joked that its strange shape makes it look like a spaceship from a science fiction story, like the Millennium Falcon from 'Star Wars.'

But, what exactly is cryovolcano?

A cryovolcano is a kind of volcano that spews out stuff like water, ammonia, or methane into extremely cold environments, even colder than freezing temperatures.

Devil Comet: Should you be worried?

Don't worry about a big collision with Comet 12P just yet. Scientists say it won't get really close to Earth until 2024, when we can see it without a telescope. After that, it will return to space and won't come close to us again until 2095.

According to Space Weather, all comets, including 12P, have a hard centre composed of a mix of gas dust and ice. The fact that 12P contains a lot more ice and gas inside its core than most other comets distinguishes it.

It's also important to note that this is the second time 12P has exploded. The first time was on July 20. In that eruption, the horn-like emissions were 7,000 times wider than the comet itself.

Astronomer Jean-Louis Pons found it on July 12, 1812. This comet is said to be one of 20 comets that are known to have ice volcanoes that are still active.

Comet sparks meme fest online

Social media platforms such as Instagram, and Twitter were filled with reactions as people were surprised to find out about the comet. 

While one user wrote, "An asteroid always coming to earth every day can I just live", another joked, "Is school going to be canceled?"

"Nah we need Goku to save us," another user wrote while making an anime reference.

"2095… I should be reincarnated by then," said another after learning more about the comet.