Catch these rare comets passing by Earth in October

A pair of once-in-a-lifetime comets will streak across our skies next October. It’s a rare treat for skywatchers, as they won’t be back for hundreds of years.

Comets – C/2025 A6 (lemon) and C/2025 R2 (Swan) -They look similar from our point of view. You can now spot these green gas balls and their flowing tails. But the comets will be easier to see later this month.

SWAN will shine its brightest around October 20. NBC News Reports. Just one day later, on October 21, Lemon will reach its peak in the dark sky.

If you want to watch these comets zip by Earth, the coming weeks will be the best time. There won’t be another chance. The next time SWAN comes around again will be in 650 to 700 years, and Lemmon won’t return for another 1,300 years. CNN Reports.

Comets are known to defy even the most accurate predictions, but careful observers may catch these rare October sightings from their backyards in the morning before dawn or in the night sky.

New comets on the scene

Both Lemmon and SWAN were discovered in 2025. Lemon discovered On January 3 in Arizona by the Mount Lemmon Survey – using a 60-inch telescope mounted on Mount Lemmon to find celestial bodies – which gave the comet its name.

“Current models show the comet will likely peak at between 3.5 and 4.5 degrees when it is closest to Earth on October 21, which is less bright than it showed last week.” St. Louis Science Center he wrote in the October update. “This is still bright enough that it can be seen with the naked eye from light-polluted locations.”

A Ukrainian amateur astronomer named Vladimir Bezugli discovered comet SWAN on September 11 while looking at images taken by SWAN, a scientific instrument called Solar Wind ANisotropies, which was mounted on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory in space.

“It was an easy comet to detect due to sufficient brightness in the (ultraviolet) band and the location in the SWAN images, exactly at its center,” Pizzogli said. The universe today. He also noted that it is the twentieth official SWAN comet to date.

How to see Lemmon and SWAN in October

The darker the night sky, the easier it is to see comets, moons, planets and stars. If you live in a city, pack your bags and take an evening sky-viewing trip to a country with less light pollution, with blankets, chairs and something warm to drink.

It takes some time for your eyes to adjust to the dark. Find a comfortable place where you can stay still and look up. Comets may be bright enough to be seen unaided, however NASA recommends binoculars As a great entry-level stargazing tool.

Telescopes are one of the best ways to view the sky, and you may be able to find one to use or rent at your local library or university. but Modern telescopes can also be fairly affordable.

Smartphone Apps can also be useful when trying to learn about celestial phenomena and where to find them. Payment Our list of stargazing apps For some recommendations.

A sky full of wonders

Aside from newly discovered comets, skywatchers have some other cosmic things to enjoy this month.

the Orionids meteor shower — when Earth moves through the massive tail of Halley’s Comet — began earlier this month, but you’ll be able to see meteors until the beginning of November.

the next SupermoonKnown as the Beaver Moon, it will occur on November 5.