Astronomers monitoring a trio of comets :: WRAL.com

You might have seen claims about three comets found this yr: C/2025 K1 (ATLAS), C/2025 R2 (SWAN), and C/2025 A6 (Lemmon), being seen within the fall skies.

Yeah … about that.

Unless there are important modifications in these comets, two of the three will seemingly not be seen with out a sizable telescope. But the third holds some promise to gentle up the Halloween evening sky

C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) is presently approaching the Sun and is misplaced within the glare consequently. If it survives perihelion on Wednesday, Oct. 8, the closest level to the Sun in its orbit, it might considerably brighten.

Unfortunately Comet Atlas will stay beneath the horizon till late November, when will probably be about 40 million miles from Earth and certain too dim to see.

Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) was found on Sept. 11 by newbie astronomer Vladimir Bezugly in photos from NASA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). It is presently about 50 million miles from Earth however is drawing nearer.  

Comet SWAN survived perihelion two weeks in the past and is simply starting to peek over the western horizon this week. It will proceed to rise within the western night sky evening over evening and is predicted to proceed brightening by way of its closest level to Earth on Oct. 19, a mere 24 million miles away. 

However, it’s anticipated to stay too dim to see with out a telescope.

C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) was found in January by telescopes atop Mount Lemmon in Arizona. It has generated some pleasure as observers within the southern hemisphere record the comet steadily brightening bringing the comet to the sting of naked-eye visibility underneath darkish skies. More importantly, the comet has adopted the anticipated brightening sample very carefully, boosting confidence in forecasts of future brightness.

If this development continues, Comet Lemmon may be seen to the unaided (suburban) eye, low on the western horizon, in late October because it approaches its Nov. 8 perihelion.

That’s a giant if as a result of, as comet discoverer David H. Levy factors out, “Comets are like cats: they have tails, and they do precisely what they want.”