Newly Discovered Comet SWAN25F Now Visible—Here’s How to See It Before It Disappears

A newly discovered comet, SWAN25F, is racing across April’s morning sky—catch it now with binoculars before it makes its closest approach to Earth and the sun in early May.

Newly Discovered Comet SWAN25F Now Visible—Here’s How to See It Before It Disappears | The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel

A new comet, officially designated SWAN25F, has entered the morning skies of the Northern Hemisphere, and it’s already visible with binoculars. The comet was first spotted on April 1, 2025, by Australian amateur astronomer Michael Mattiazo, who identified it in images from SWAN, an instrument aboard the ESA’s SOHO spacecraft. Comet SWAN25F is currently moving quickly through the stars and is expected to grow brighter in the coming weeks—potentially becoming visible to the naked eye if it survives its close pass by the sun.

Comet SWAN25F is visible in the morning sky, low on the east-northeastern horizon just before sunrise. While still faint—currently at a magnitude of 7.5 to 8—you can catch it with binoculars or a small telescope. If the comet remains intact through its perihelion (closest approach to the sun) on May 1, it may transition into the evening sky, becoming visible around sunset in early May.

For now, it’s passing through the constellation Pegasus and heading toward Andromeda. A great reference point for skywatchers is the bright star Alpheratz (Alpha Andromedae), where the comet is expected to pass nearby around April 13. Observers using binoculars may notice its small, greenish coma—a glow caused by diatomic carbon (C₂) molecules—along with a faint dust tail stretching several moon diameters.

According to preliminary orbital data, SWAN25F will make its closest approach to both Earth and the sun on May 1, reaching about 31 million miles from the sun—just inside Mercury’s orbit. If it survives this intense solar encounter, the comet could brighten to magnitude 4.5 to 5, potentially becoming visible without optical aid, although it may still remain low near the horizon.

The comet’s high speed will also become noticeable, with skywatchers able to detect changes in its position night after night as it races across the sky. Whether it becomes a bright, memorable comet or fades out depends on how it behaves during its closest solar approach—a notoriously unpredictable moment in a comet’s journey.

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