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Credit & Copyright: Luc Perrot
(TWAN)
Explanation:
It may look like these comets are racing, but they are not.
Comets
C/2025 K1 ATLAS (left) and
C/2025 R2 SWAN (right)
appeared near each other by chance last week in the
featured image taken from France's
Reunion
Island in the southern
Indian Ocean.
Fainter
Comet ATLAS is approaching our Sun and will reach its closest approach in early
October when it is also expected to be its brightest -- although still only
likely visible
with long exposures on a camera.
The brighter comet, nicknamed
SWAN25B, is now headed away from our
Sun,
although its closest approach to Earth is expected in mid-October,
when optimistic estimates have it becoming bright enough to see with the unaided
eye.
Each comet has a greenish
coma of expelled gas and an
ion tail pointing away from the Sun.
Growing Gallery:
Comet SWAN25B
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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 26 Á A SWAN an ATLAS and Mars
- 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
- APOD: 2025 February 2 Á Comet G3 ATLAS Disintegrates