Find out how to see comet C/2025 A6 (LEMMON) this autumn

Comet observers are slightly spoiled in the mean time.

Not solely is there a comet from a wholly totally different a part of the Galaxy racing by way of our Solar System (comet 3I/ATLAS, the one on-line conspiracy theorists are claiming is an alien spaceship – spoiler alert: it’s not), however there’s a brightening ‘family member’ comet seen within the sky too.

Comet C/2025 A6 (LEMMON) is an early morning object for northern observers, drifting slowly by way of the constellation of Lynx, roughly midway between sensible Jupiter and the celebs of the Plough/Big Dipper.

Here’s the story thus far.

Experienced comet photographers have been utilizing their high-tech telescopes and cameras to {photograph} comet C/2025 A6 (LEMMON) for a few weeks now.

Their processed photographs present it’s extremely energetic and dynamic, sporting a tail knotted and clotted with clumps of fabric.

But it is nonetheless too faint to see with out assist from binoculars or telescopes, and is so small within the sky it’s basically simply an out-of-focus greenish star even in these.

But though it’s not a lot to take a look at but, comet observers monitoring its behaviour have gotten more and more optimistic that it may be seen to the bare eye on the finish of October 2025, possibly even sporting a protracted tail.

But earlier than we get too carried away with mights and maybes, let’s return somewhat, to the beginning of A6’s story.

Comet C/2025 A6 (LEMMON) discovery

C/2025 A6 (LEMMON) was found on 3 January 2025 by astronomer David C. Fuls as a part of the Mount Lemmon Survey.

This is a near-Earth object detection program operated by the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory, utilizing a 1.5-meter (60-inch) Cassegrain reflector telescope at Mount Lemmon Observatory in Arizona.

Back then, C/2025 A6 (LEMMON) was only a magnitude +21.5 dot of sunshine.

Follow-up observations shortly revealed cometary exercise, resulting in its official designation as a comet: C/2025 A6 (Lemmon).

When scientists calculated the comet’s orbit, they discovered it had final visited the internal Solar System over a millennium in the past, presumably throughout the Middle Ages…

And when A6’s numbers had been crunched even additional, they urged that it will solely attain about magnitude +10 when it was at its closest to the Sun.

That made it a modest goal for knowledgeable beginner observers, however nothing for anybody else to get too enthusiastic about.

So because it handed by way of photo voltaic conjunction on 2 July 2025, and was quickly misplaced from view within the Sun’s glare, no-one actually anticipated very a lot from it when it reappeared.

A brightening impact

Comets love stunning the individuals who observe them, and proving them improper if doable.

And when comet C/2025 A6 (LEMMON) re-emerged into the morning sky in mid-August 2025, it was far brighter than anticipated, presumably resulting from an outburst of exercise on its icy nucleus.

Comet observers started to take a look at it with extra curiosity, and a few even dared to boost a Spock-like eyebrow, permitting themselves to surprise if it would placed on a great present on the finish of October 2025, when it will be finest positioned for commentary from Earth…

Now, as September attracts to a detailed, many observers have gotten fairly optimistic about A6’s prospects.

It’s shining at round 8^th or 9^th magnitude and is seen in binoculars and small telescopes, although not seen with the bare eye but.

C/2025 A6 has developed a tail, which is placing on lengthy publicity images, and if it retains brightening because it has been doing, it is on observe to succeed in +3 magnitude on the finish of October 2025.

That would make it seen to the bare eye for these blessed with good eyesight and darkish, mild pollution-free skies, and visual by way of binoculars and telescopes for others not fairly so fortunate.

However, some laptop simulations recommend A6 is perhaps even brighter, maybe reaching +2 magnitude or larger, with a mud tail a number of levels lengthy and a for much longer fuel tail.

However, that will in all probability solely present up clearly on images and never be apparent to the bare eye.

That’s clearly a really thrilling prospect, however it’s essential to not get carried away right here.

Comets are fickle creatures, and these cosmic crystal ball predictions for A6’s future could not come true.

It is actually not going to ‘mild up the sky’ or ‘streak throughout the heavens’ like social media reviews are already suggesting.

What we find out about C/2025 A6 thus far

The one factor we can at the moment safely say is that comet C/2025 A6 (LEMMON) is seen within the morning sky for northern observers now.

It’s already vivid sufficient to be seen as a small, fuzzy, greenish star by way of binoculars and small telescopes.

It may even be photographed utilizing very fundamental gear.

I used to be out at 02:00 in late September 2025, photographing it from a park in the course of Kendal, Cumbria, UK utilizing a fundamental Canon 700D DSLR digital camera monitoring the sky on a motorised mount.

Despite the streetlights and safety lights obtrusive round me, the comet confirmed up clearly on my photographs, as you may see right here.

Smart telescopes comparable to Seestars and Dwarfs and many others. will certainly choose it up with none issue.

For extra recommendation, learn our information on tips on how to {photograph} a comet.

As for the long run, now we now have to attend and see what occurs.

Over the following few weeks I’ll be preserving a detailed eye on Comet C/2025 A6 (LEMMON) and supplying you with the newest details about it on this ongoing weblog.

I’ll allow you to discover it within the sky and maintain you up to date on how vivid it will get – or doesn’t get.

So, maintain checking again right here usually to ensure you don’t miss something.

And possibly cross your fingers too…