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Astronomy Picture of the Day - Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN)
NASA ^ | 18 Sep, 2025 | Image Credit & Copyright: Team Ciel Austral

Posted on 09/18/2025 3:15:46 PM PDT by MtnClimber

Explanation: A new visitor from the outer Solar System, comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) also known as SWAN25B was only discovered late last week, on September 11. That's just a day before the comet reached perihelion, its closest approach to the Sun. First spotted by Vladimir Bezugly in images from the SWAN instrument on the sun-staring SOHO spacecraft, the comet was surprisingly bright but understandably difficult to see against the Sun's glare. Still close to the Sun on the sky, the greenish coma and tail of C/2025 R2 (SWAN) are captured in this telescopic snapshot from September 17. Spica, alpha star of the constellation Virgo, shines just beyond the upper left edge of the frame while the comet is about 6.5 light-minutes from planet Earth. Near the western horizon after sunset and slightly easier to see in binoculars from the southern hemisphere, this comet SWAN will pass near Zubenelgenubi, alpha star of Libra, on October 2. C/2025 R2 (SWAN) is scheduled to make its closest approach to our fair planet around October 20.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; nasa
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For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

1 posted on 09/18/2025 3:15:46 PM PDT by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

2 posted on 09/18/2025 3:16:10 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; A Navy Vet; A_perfect_lady; abb; AFB-XYZ; AFPhys; ...
Pinging the APOD list

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

3 posted on 09/18/2025 3:17:02 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

Here.


4 posted on 09/18/2025 3:37:03 PM PDT by SkyDancer ( ~ Am Yisrael Chai ~)
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To: MtnClimber

A pretty comet. Not an enigma like 3I/ATLAS


5 posted on 09/18/2025 5:04:54 PM PDT by telescope115 (Ad Astra, Ad Deum…)
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To: MtnClimber

She’s a beauty!


6 posted on 09/18/2025 5:07:20 PM PDT by HandyDandy (“Borders, language and culture.” Michael Savage)
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To: MtnClimber

Not seen when it was further away because it was too close to the Sun from our point of view to get noticed. It has a very long orbit that takes it way past Neptune’s orbit. Not yet enough accurate data to say just how far.


7 posted on 09/18/2025 11:01:36 PM PDT by Nateman (Democrats did not strive for fraud friendly voting merely to continue honest elections.)
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