Comet SWAN C/2020 F8, discovered in 2020 by NASA's Solar Wind Anisotropy (SWAN) instrument. (Image credit: Chasing Light — photograph by James Stone james-stone.com via Getty Images)
A comet with a long tail has been spotted near the Sun, and some astronomers predict it will be visible to the naked eye in mid-October—along with another comet predicted to do the same. This could mean two bright comets will be visible in the night sky simultaneously, on the night of the meteor shower's peak.
Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN), or SWAN R2 for short, was discovered on September 12 by NASA's orbiting Solar Dynamics Observatory, whose Solar Wind Anisotropy (SWAN) instrument is used to search for comets near the Sun. The previously unknown comet was discovered in SWAN images by Ukrainian amateur astronomer Volodymyr Bezuglyi, according to Universe Today. The comet was initially designated SWAN25B. Three days later, the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center classified the object as a comet and renamed it C/2025 R2 (SWAN).
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While SWAN R2 is still very close to the Sun—passing close to Mars just after sunset and currently best visible from the Southern Hemisphere—that will change on October 21, when SWAN R2 will be just 0.27 astronomical units (AU) from Earth, according to The Sky Live. That's about a quarter of the Earth-Sun distance.
During this time, the comet could reach magnitude 4, potentially making it visible to the naked eye at night, even in the Northern Hemisphere. Earth may even pass through the comet's debris between October 4 and 6, potentially triggering a unique meteor shower. Even if it doesn't brighten enough to be seen with the naked eye, the comet will be easily visible with stargazing binoculars or a good home telescope.
This comet has arrived just as another comet is brightening. Discovered in January during a survey of Mount Lemmon in Arizona, Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) will approach Earth on October 21—the same day that Comet SWAN R2 makes its closest approach. Comet Lemmon will be about 0.60 AU from Earth and will be visible in the morning and evening. According to Space.com, Lemmon could reach magnitude 4, making it observable with the naked eye in dark skies.
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The best nights to observe both comets—if they survive increasingly close approaches to the Sun (which is not guaranteed) and their brightness matches forecasts—will be October 20–23, when they will be closest to Earth. October 21 marks the new moon, when the night sky will be moonless. October 20–21 also marks the peak of the Orionid meteor shower, with approximately 20 shooting stars per hour expected. Don't miss the opportunity to see two bright comets and meteors in dark skies.
The last bright comet visible to the naked eye was Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) in the summer of 2020, although Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) became visible with binoculars during its close approach to Earth in October 2024.
Jamie Carter, Social Link Navigator, Live Science Contributor
Jamie Carter is a freelance journalist and regular Live Science contributor from Cardiff, UK. He is the author of “Stargazing for Beginners” and lectures on astronomy and nature. Jamie regularly writes for Space.com, TechRadar.com, Forbes Science, BBC Wildlife magazine, Scientific American, and many other publications. He edits the website WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com.
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