Skywatchers may be able to spot not one but two comets this October, which would give the night sky a new level of sparkle. Seeing more than one comet a month is remarkable and fairly uncommon.
C/2025 R2 (SWAN) and C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) are predicted make their closest approach to Earth around Oct. 21. They are best viewed with binoculars in the night sky. Both comets are expected to be visible in the western and southern skies about 45 minutes after sunset, according to Forbes.
Comets are remnants from the early stages of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago, according to NASA. They are made mostly of ice that has been covered in dark organic material.
Where to view comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN)
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Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) has an estimated brightness of magnitude +6.1 (a measure of visual brightness), which, in a dark, moonless sky, puts it just barely beyond the range of the naked eye. The comet can be best viewed using binoculars or a telescope.
Through October, the comet may continue to shine brightly or even increase in visibility, so it will be visible to the unaided eye in the night sky Oct. 20, according to StarWalk, a real-time astronomical app for stargazing. Its visibility in the Northern Hemisphere will gradually increase as we move into mid-October.
Comet SWAN will pass through the constellations of Libra, Scorpius, Ophiuchus, Serpens, Scutum, Sagittarius, Aquila and Aquarius, according to Space.com.
Where to view the C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) comet
Comet Lemmon will pass by Earth at the end of October and should be easily visible in the evening sky for people in the Northern Hemisphere. The comet can be best viewed using binoculars in mid-October and November when its brightness reaches roughly magnitude 5. Comets of this type typically brighten considerably close to perihelion, or a comet’s closest point to Earth, according to StarWalk.
Upcoming comets to view
Would you like to see more comets? You’re in luck: Several are approaching Earth. This celestial calendar includes significant comets that will travel close to Earth in late 2025 and early 2026.
Good luck catching a glimpse!
SOURCE NASA, StarWalk.space, Forbes and USA TODAY research