Particle.news

Download on the App Store

Comet C/2025 F2 (SWAN) Brightens as It Approaches Critical Solar Encounter

The newly discovered green comet, visible with binoculars, is racing toward its May 1 perihelion, where it may either brighten dramatically or disintegrate.

© C messier, Wikimedia
Image
Image

Overview

  • Amateur astronomer Michael Mattiazzo identified Comet C/2025 F2 (SWAN) in late March using SWAN imagery from the SOHO spacecraft.
  • The Minor Planet Center officially designated the comet on April 8, confirming its entry into scientific records.
  • Currently at magnitude +8, the comet is visible in the early morning sky through telescopes or binoculars, appearing within the Great Square of Pegasus and moving toward Andromeda.
  • The comet is expected to reach its closest approach to the Sun, or perihelion, on May 1, a critical moment that could lead to its disintegration or a significant increase in brightness.
  • Observers worldwide are tracking the comet's vivid green glow and faint tail, with its trajectory offering a rare celestial spectacle before its uncertain fate unfolds.