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Credit & Copyright: Adam Block
Explanation:
A new visitor to
the inner Solar System, comet
C/2025 R2
(SWAN)
sports a long ion tail extending diagonally across
this almost 7 degree wide telescopic field of view
recorded on September 21.
A fainter fellow comet also making its inner Solar System debut,
C/2025 K1 (ATLAS),
can be spotted above and left of SWAN's greenish coma,
just visible against the background sea of stars
in the constellation Virgo.
Both new comets were only discovered in 2025
and are joined in this celestial frame by ruddy planet Mars (bottom),
a more familiar wanderer in planet Earth's night skies.
The comets
may appear to be in a race, nearly neck and neck
in their voyage through the inner Solar System and around the Sun.
But this comet SWAN has already reached its perihelion
or closest approach to the Sun on September 12
and is now outbound along its orbit.
This comet ATLAS
is still inbound though, and will make its
perihelion passage on October 8.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: comet
Publications with words: comet
See also:
- APOD: 2025 September 30 Á Comet Lemmon Brightens
- APOD: 2025 September 29 Á Two Camera Comets in One Sky
- APOD: 2025 September 18 Á Comet C/2025 R2 SWAN
- APOD: 2025 September 16 Á New Comet SWAN25B over Mexico
- APOD: 2025 July 7 Á Interstellar Comet 3I ATLAS
- Comet C/2025 F2 SWAN
- APOD: 2025 February 5 Á Comet G3 ATLAS Setting over a Chilean Hill