Astronomers around the globe are keeping a watchful eye on Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks as it races closer to the sun for a spectacular encounter in April. While most focus on the comet's breathtaking tail, growing longer each night, Norwegian astronomer Jan Erik Vallestad took a different approach.
Vallestad opted for a closer examination of the comet's core, and his observations revealed something intriguing: a spiral shape. "The image went through moderate stretching in Pixinsight to enhance the core's structure," explained Vallestad. "This was possible because the core wasn't saturated in the original data."