Indianapolis, IN — For the past couple of weeks, Kaleb Boone, 9, has been charting the sky. He's been mapping, he's been measuring, he's been plotting, and he's been keenly considering the weather. The reason why is simple. It's what any astronomer ought to be doing in anticipation of a major cosmic event.
When the comet 12P/Pons-Brooks boomerangs back toward us after decades of treading the outer solar system, scientists will be ready to capture it in action thanks to their meticulously prepared calculations. When the giant star Betelgeuse reaches its tipping point and bursts someday, even though we don't know when that day will be, there's a structure in place to bar against losing any of those juicy supernova details. Boone, however, has his eye on perhaps the most beloved space muse of all: Our star, the sun.
