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Comet Lemon to make closest method to earth on Tuesday
Stargazers in Philadelphia and past can be handled to a uncommon celestial sight Tuesday as Comet Lemmon makes its closest method to earth. The comet will go 45-to-50 million miles away, however will nonetheless be seen with the bare eye.
Fox – Fox 29
In a double cosmic deal with and once-in-a-millennium alternative, stargazers in October 2025 can look to the sky for 2 uncommon comets as they make a detailed method to Earth — and Comet Lemmon and Comet SWAN are already seen tonight, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, simply because the Orionid meteor showers proceed their sky dance.
The comets tonight can be seen if climate circumstances are supreme, with the brilliant inexperienced Comet Lemmon (C/2025 A6) passing by Earth at round 56 million miles away, whereas Comet SWAN (C/2025 R2) is even nearer, though not at as vivid of a magnitude, at roughly 24 million miles. in response to Space.com.
Since Lemmon is finest seen after sundown and in darkish skies, New Jersey stargazers could also be in luck, with the National Weather Service predicting partly cloudy skies this night giving strategy to largely clear skies in a single day. But deliver a coat; frost advisories blanket a lot of the state tonight and into early Friday morning, Oct. 24.
Here’s what to know in regards to the two uncommon comets, how one can spot them, timing, and extra.
What comet is seen tonight?
Comet Lemmon, named C/2025 A6 Lemmon, and Comet SWAN, named C/2025 R2 SWAN, are anticipated to shine vivid tonight, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, and thru October 2025. Lemmon will even have its spookiest method round Halloween 2025, on Oct. 31, and into early November, according to Starwalk.
Lemmon had reached close to a magnitude +6 on the detection restrict of the human eye, which technically means it may very well be seen and not using a telescope or binoculars, if the sky is completely darkish. Lemmon was first found in January 2025 by the Mount Lemmon Survey, which makes use of a 60-inch telescope at Mt. Lemmon, Arizona.
Comet SWAN was first found in September 2025 by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory’s SWAN instrument.
When is Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon seen?
Comet Lemmon might be seen tonight, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, and is predicted to brighten even more near Halloween 2025 and thru early November. You will need to direct your gaze northwest to see Lemmon, roughly 90 minutes after sundown at your location.
While technically it may be noticed with out, a pair of binoculars or a small telescope could be supreme. Comet Lemmon is discovered above the star Arcturus in Boötes, an orange-red object situated beneath the arc of the Big Dipper within the southwest sky. Check out a stargazing map, like Stellarium, that can assist you discover the Big Dipper.
The subsequent time Comet Lemmon will make its closest method is in about 1,300 years, so do not wait!
When is Comet C/2025 R2 Swan seen?
Comet SWAN, or C/2025 R2 Swan, can be seen within the night sky tonight, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, but it surely’s on a very completely different trajectory, passing Earth to the southwest. SWAN is barely dimmer, though current observations put it on a brightness magnitude of 5.6, which means it could be seen to the bare eye as a really faint object at the hours of darkness night time sky.
SWAN is finest positioned for observers within the Southern Hemisphere, so it may be trickier to identify than Lemmon. On Oct. 16, SWAN was positioned about 5 levels to the higher left of the star Xi Serpentis, within the jap part of the constellation Serpens.
To spot it, look within the hours following sundown, earlier than it sinks low on the south-southwest horizon. Unfortunately, any kind of mild air pollution will considerably degrade its visibility, so city skywatchers ought to search out full darkness.
Where to look, how one can see the comets?
Tonight, Thursday, Oct. 23, comet watchers will need to discover a spot with a very good view of the horizon, away from metropolis lights. Unlike stars and planets, comets typically have diffuse comas and lengthy, faint tails that may span a good portion of the sky. For that purpose, utilizing decrease magnification in your gear works finest.
Comet Lemmon is technically seen to the bare eye, however you will want binoculars or a small telescope to see Comet SWAN. Lemmon’s magnitude 4.5 is about the identical brightness as March’s Beehive Cluster (M44) and a bit dimmer than the Andromeda galaxy (M31).
When will Halley’s Comet return?
Each time Halley’s Comet (1P/Halley) returns to the internal photo voltaic system, it sprays ice and rock particles, leading to two weak meteor showers annually: October’s Orionids meteor bathe, and the Eta Aquarids in May, in response to NASA.
For followers of Halley, your subsequent probability to see the comet in our skies is on July 28, 2061, when it is on its regular (or uncommon, if you happen to take into account it strikes reverse Earth’s movement) across the Sun.
While Halley’s final look in February 1986 wasn’t supreme, because it was opposite the midwinter sun, the icy house phenomena is predicted to be 10 occasions brighter when it returns in roughly 36 years.
Halley is well probably the most well-known of the comets because of its “visits” to Earth about each 76 years, making it attainable an individual may see it twice of their lifetime. It additionally has been recorded in historical past courting again to 467 BC
Right now, Comet 1P/Halley is within the constellation of Hydra, often known as the “female water snake” constellation, closest to the celestial equator.
Where is Comet Atlas?
Astronomers are maintaining a tally of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, which was found on July 1, 2025 by astronomers on the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, in response to NASA. Scientists say the item originated from one other star system and after thousands and thousands or maybe billions of years, lately made it into our photo voltaic system.
ATLAS is taken into account the third interstellar object noticed passing by way of our photo voltaic system, apart from ‘Oumuamua in 2017, and 2I/Borisov, found in 2019. It poses no menace to Earth.
While not seen to us right here on Earth proper now, because it’s nearing its closest level to the solar on Oct. 30, 2025, it is going to reappear on the opposite aspect in December 2025 — offering an opportunity for a view. Follow Atlas’ journey on the NASA “Eyes on the Solar System” live map.
Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based journalist with the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team.
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