Scientists from the Planetary Science Institute in Arizona and the University of Bordeaux in France have found that millions of comets could be racing towards the inner solar system because of something that happened 2.5 million years ago. The researchers stated that a star similar to our Sun crossed our solar system and, in the process, shook some icy objects in the Oort Cloud. It is a theoretical spherical shell surrounding our solar system, believed to be filled with billions of icy planetesimals.&nbsp;&nbsp;This encounter created long-period comets which could since be travelling towards us, EarthSky reported. The researchers used the Gaia mission to identify this star - HD 7977 - which they found travelled close to our Sun 2.5 million years ago. Since long-period comets can take between 200 and tens of millions of years to orbit the sun once, most of them may still be on their way.&nbsp;Researchers state that HD 7977 was similar to our Sun. It came very close to Earth as well when it passed between 4,000 and 25,000 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun. They ran computer simulations of the orbits of long-period comets and narrowed the distance to 6,000-10,000 AU. They compared the simulations to the passage of 112 known long-period comets. Their calculations showed that the star's gravity disturbed the Oort Cloud, changing the motions of many of the icy objects in the region and sending them on a journey towards the inner solar system.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/world-asteroid-day-hazardous-asteroids-flagged-to-hit-earth-and-current-status-1782828620702">World Asteroid Day: Hazardous asteroids flagged to hit Earth and current status</a><h2>Rare comet shower is coming</h2>Study author Nathan Kaib said, "The distribution of comet orbits suggests we are living through an unusual time where HD 7977 has dominated the generation of new comets and not the larger gravitational field of the Milky Way." He added, "This would also mean we’re living through the late stages of a pretty rare and powerful comet shower."Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/a-first-since-pluto-did-a-comet-explosion-create-atmosphere-on-this-object-beyond-neptune-1782135566992">A first since Pluto: Did a comet explosion create atmosphere on this object beyond Neptune?</a>&nbsp;The icy objects in the Oort Cloud are leftovers from the time of our solar system's birth. They were formed near giant planets, such as Jupiter and Saturn, and were gradually flung towards the ends of the solar system. The gravity of the Milky Way has been tugging on the outer reaches of our system, creating a sphere which scientists have named the Oort Cloud.<h2>New comets could be from the travelling star</h2>The older comets that we know of exist in the solar system are likely the result of the galactic pull, while the newer comets racing towards the inner region were sent on this trip by HD 7977. The team admitted that their results are not precise and more research is needed to confirm them. "Gaia is still publishing new data on the motions of stars, and in 6-12 months, it should be able to improve our understanding of HD 7977’s motion and tell us if we are right or wrong," Kaib said.

A star passed near Earth and the Sun and jostled objects in the Oort Cloud 2.5 million years ago, sending them on a journey towards us. They are all long-period comets, meaning most of them would still be on their first trip. 

Scientists from the Planetary Science Institute in Arizona and the University of Bordeaux in France have found that millions of comets could be racing towards the inner solar system because of something that happened 2.5 million years ago. The researchers stated that a star similar to our Sun crossed our solar system and, in the process, shook some icy objects in the Oort Cloud. It is a theoretical spherical shell surrounding our solar system, believed to be filled with billions of icy planetesimals. This encounter created long-period comets which could since be travelling towards us, EarthSky reported. The researchers used the Gaia mission to identify this star - HD 7977 - which they found travelled close to our Sun 2.5 million years ago. Since long-period comets can take between 200 and tens of millions of years to orbit the sun once, most of them may still be on their way. Researchers state that HD 7977 was similar to our Sun. It came very close to Earth as well when it passed between 4,000 and 25,000 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun. They ran computer simulations of the orbits of long-period comets and narrowed the distance to 6,000-10,000 AU. They compared the simulations to the passage of 112 known long-period comets. Their calculations showed that the star's gravity disturbed the Oort Cloud, changing the motions of many of the icy objects in the region and sending them on a journey towards the inner solar system. Also Read: World Asteroid Day: Hazardous asteroids flagged to hit Earth and current status Rare comet shower is coming Study author Nathan Kaib said, "The distribution of comet orbits suggests we are living through an unusual time where HD 7977 has dominated the generation of new comets and not the larger gravitational field of the Milky Way." He added, "This would also mean we’re living through the late stages of a pretty rare and powerful comet shower." Also Read: A first since Pluto: Did a comet explosion create atmosphere on this object beyond Neptune? The icy objects in the Oort Cloud are leftovers from the time of our solar system's birth. They were formed near giant planets, such as Jupiter and Saturn, and were gradually flung towards the ends of the solar system. The gravity of the Milky Way has been tugging on the outer reaches of our system, creating a sphere which scientists have named the Oort Cloud. New comets could be from the travelling star The older comets that we know of exist in the solar system are likely the result of the galactic pull, while the newer comets racing towards the inner region were sent on this trip by HD 7977. The team admitted that their results are not precise and more research is needed to confirm them. "Gaia is still publishing new data on the motions of stars, and in 6-12 months, it should be able to improve our understanding of HD 7977’s motion and tell us if we are right or wrong," Kaib said.

A star passed near Earth and the Sun and jostled objects in the Oort Cloud 2.5 million years ago, sending them on a journey towards us. They are all long-period comets, meaning most of them would still be on their first trip.&nbsp;

Powerful comet shower from Oort Cloud racing towards Earth, study finds

A comet discovered nearly a century ago is putting up a spectacular show in the night sky. Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann underwent an explosion in February 2026, which increased its brightness by several magnitudes. On the brightness meter, the cryovolcanic explosions have led it to jump from approximately magnitude 13.5 to 11.5. This event that unfolded within hours has increased its visibility. By February 13, its coma had expanded to about 45 inches, Bob King wrote on Sky and Telescope. He observed a "dense and impenetrable" core and a "very faint, stellar pseudo-nucleus." The comet will continue to become bigger over the next few days before fading again. King suggests getting a glimpse as soon as possible. Explosions aren't uncommon for comets. As they move nearer to the Sun, heat builds up inside the comet as volatile ices like carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide start vaporising. When the pressure becomes too intense, the material breaks through the crust in an explosion. This event increases their brightness.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/3iatlas-interstellar-objects-35-million-avi-loeb-solar-system-1770972758535">Scientist claims 35 million interstellar objects reside between Sun and Earth - ‘100 trillion metric tons...’</a><h2>Fizzy cocktail brews and explodes from comet</h2>The explosion in the case of Comet 29P was so massive that it sent debris flying into space at speeds of 3218 km/hr. The dynamic process will cause the comet's size and appearance to change almost every night. Richard Miles, director of the Asteroids &amp; Remote Planets section of the British Astronomical Association (BAA), attributes it to a "fizzy cocktail" heating up inside the comet comprising liquid methane, ethane and propane, mixing with dissolved carbon dioxide. Astronomers expect the comet to undergo more explosions since something this big is typically followed by smaller ones. Comet 29P also witnessed two explosions in the year 2025.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/inside-out-planetary-system-lhs-1903-baffles-scientists-1770966994675">Rock, gas, gas, rock? Star system with 'strange disorder' baffles scientists</a><h2>Slow rotation period of Comet 29P</h2>Comet 29P is different from other comets in terms of distance from the sun and the corresponding activity. As opposed to comets that undergo cryovolcanism when they approach the Sun, 29P stays far away and yet undergoes such activity. It is a Centaur (an object between Jupiter and Neptune) that stays in a nearly circular orbit. It is one of the most active bodies in the solar system, thanks to its 57-day rotation period. This exposes parts of it to solar heat for several days, causing internal pressure to build up, which then releases.&nbsp;

Comet in sky: Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann has had another outburst, and a big one. An astronomer saw the comet discovered in 1927 undergoing an explosion so big that its brightness increased by several magnitudes.

A comet discovered nearly a century ago is putting up a spectacular show in the night sky. Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann underwent an explosion in February 2026, which increased its brightness by several magnitudes. On the brightness meter, the cryovolcanic explosions have led it to jump from approximately magnitude 13.5 to 11.5. This event that unfolded within hours has increased its visibility. By February 13, its coma had expanded to about 45 inches, Bob King wrote on Sky and Telescope. He observed a "dense and impenetrable" core and a "very faint, stellar pseudo-nucleus." The comet will continue to become bigger over the next few days before fading again. King suggests getting a glimpse as soon as possible. Explosions aren't uncommon for comets. As they move nearer to the Sun, heat builds up inside the comet as volatile ices like carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide start vaporising. When the pressure becomes too intense, the material breaks through the crust in an explosion. This event increases their brightness. Also Read: Scientist claims 35 million interstellar objects reside between Sun and Earth - ‘100 trillion metric tons...’ Fizzy cocktail brews and explodes from comet The explosion in the case of Comet 29P was so massive that it sent debris flying into space at speeds of 3218 km/hr. The dynamic process will cause the comet's size and appearance to change almost every night. Richard Miles, director of the Asteroids & Remote Planets section of the British Astronomical Association (BAA), attributes it to a "fizzy cocktail" heating up inside the comet comprising liquid methane, ethane and propane, mixing with dissolved carbon dioxide. Astronomers expect the comet to undergo more explosions since something this big is typically followed by smaller ones. Comet 29P also witnessed two explosions in the year 2025. Also Read: Rock, gas, gas, rock? Star system with 'strange disorder' baffles scientists Slow rotation period of Comet 29P Comet 29P is different from other comets in terms of distance from the sun and the corresponding activity. As opposed to comets that undergo cryovolcanism when they approach the Sun, 29P stays far away and yet undergoes such activity. It is a Centaur (an object between Jupiter and Neptune) that stays in a nearly circular orbit. It is one of the most active bodies in the solar system, thanks to its 57-day rotation period. This exposes parts of it to solar heat for several days, causing internal pressure to build up, which then releases.

Comet in sky: Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann has had another outburst, and a big one. An astronomer saw the comet discovered in 1927 undergoing an explosion so big that its brightness increased by several magnitudes.

Comet 29P explodes, blasting a 'fizzy cocktail' into space at 3218 km/hr

Asteroid discovery: Scientists have discovered asteroid 2025 MN45, a space rock that is spinning at an extremely fast pace, making it the first such object discovered in the Asteroid Belt. 

Asteroid discovery: Scientists have discovered asteroid 2025 MN45, a space rock that is spinning at an extremely fast pace, making it the first such object discovered in the Asteroid Belt.&nbsp;

Scientists stumble upon fastest-spinning asteroid moving at dizzying speed

&nbsp;Comets continued to grab the limelight in the new year as well, with C/2025 R3 scheduled to fly by Earth in the coming months. It follows a string of other comets that made headlines in the past two years, including "Devil Comet" 12P/Pons-Brooks and C/2024 G3 (ATLAS), that became visible in 2024 and early 2025, and C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) and C/2025 R2 (SWAN) in 2025. There was also C/2025 K1 (ATLAS), dubbed the Other Atlas, that broke up into several pieces, and there was a chance that it could turn into a headless comet. In 2026, we have a new comet to look forward to. C/2025 R3 is expected to brighten considerably and might even be visible with the naked eye.However, this is where things get tricky. This scenario depends on a phenomenon called forward scattering.&nbsp;&nbsp;Comet C/2025 R3 will reach perihelion (nearest point to the Sun) on April 20 and will be 76.3 million kilometres from the Sun. It will make its closest approach to Earth on April 27, coming within 70.8 million kilometres. This means it will be within the orbits of Mercury and Venus, offering a good opportunity to astronomers. But to reach a higher magnitude of brightness and become visible without telescopes or binoculars, sunlight will play a major role.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/1-2-billion-light-years-away-a-triple-black-hole-collision-is-occurring-for-the-first-time-1767166848929">1.2 billion light-years away, a triple black hole collision is occurring for the first time</a><h2>How sunlight can make the comet brighter</h2>When the comet passes between Earth and the sun, the dust particles in its tail will reflect the sunlight, and this can intensify the comet's brightness. Several comets in the past have become brighter because of this effect, and the same could happen to C/2025 R3. The new moon on April 17, 2026, days before perihelion, will also affect the comet's visibility. Since at this time the skies will be dark in the absence of the Moon, it will be easier to spot the comet in the pre-dawn hours from the Northern Hemisphere. By mid-April, the comet will appear about 15 degrees above the eastern horizon and will be visible an hour before sunrise.&nbsp;<h2>More about C/2025 R3</h2>C/2025 R3 was first spotted on September 8, 2025, by the Pan-STARRS observatory that sits atop Haleakalā volcano in Hawaii. The Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope helped confirm its orbit and offer an idea of the path it was expected to take in the coming months. Its nearly parabolic trajectory suggests that it is a new comet originating from the outer Oort Cloud, which means it is passing through the solar system for the first time.&nbsp;

New comet of 2026: Comet C/2025 R3 is generating excitement in the new year as it is set to reach its closest point to Earth in April. It is a new comet originating from the outer Oort Cloud and is on its first trip through the solar system. 

Comets continued to grab the limelight in the new year as well, with C/2025 R3 scheduled to fly by Earth in the coming months. It follows a string of other comets that made headlines in the past two years, including "Devil Comet" 12P/Pons-Brooks and C/2024 G3 (ATLAS), that became visible in 2024 and early 2025, and C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) and C/2025 R2 (SWAN) in 2025. There was also C/2025 K1 (ATLAS), dubbed the Other Atlas, that broke up into several pieces, and there was a chance that it could turn into a headless comet. In 2026, we have a new comet to look forward to. C/2025 R3 is expected to brighten considerably and might even be visible with the naked eye. However, this is where things get tricky. This scenario depends on a phenomenon called forward scattering. Comet C/2025 R3 will reach perihelion (nearest point to the Sun) on April 20 and will be 76.3 million kilometres from the Sun. It will make its closest approach to Earth on April 27, coming within 70.8 million kilometres. This means it will be within the orbits of Mercury and Venus, offering a good opportunity to astronomers. But to reach a higher magnitude of brightness and become visible without telescopes or binoculars, sunlight will play a major role. Also Read: 1.2 billion light-years away, a triple black hole collision is occurring for the first time How sunlight can make the comet brighter When the comet passes between Earth and the sun, the dust particles in its tail will reflect the sunlight, and this can intensify the comet's brightness. Several comets in the past have become brighter because of this effect, and the same could happen to C/2025 R3. The new moon on April 17, 2026, days before perihelion, will also affect the comet's visibility. Since at this time the skies will be dark in the absence of the Moon, it will be easier to spot the comet in the pre-dawn hours from the Northern Hemisphere. By mid-April, the comet will appear about 15 degrees above the eastern horizon and will be visible an hour before sunrise. More about C/2025 R3 C/2025 R3 was first spotted on September 8, 2025, by the Pan-STARRS observatory that sits atop Haleakalā volcano in Hawaii. The Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope helped confirm its orbit and offer an idea of the path it was expected to take in the coming months. Its nearly parabolic trajectory suggests that it is a new comet originating from the outer Oort Cloud, which means it is passing through the solar system for the first time.

New comet of 2026: Comet C/2025 R3 is generating excitement in the new year as it is set to reach its closest point to Earth in April. It is a new comet originating from the outer Oort Cloud and is on its first trip through the solar system.&nbsp;

Comet C/2025 R3: Origin, brightness and how forward scattering can improve its visibility

Comet C/2025 K1 ATLAS, dubbed the "other Atlas", is still breaking apart, with the latest images showing that it has possibly split into four pieces. Observations from the Virtual Telescope Project show that the golden comet is bearing the wrath of the radiation from the Sun, and pretty soon, a tail might be all that's left of it. The project shared the latest "sigma-clipping combination of 7, 60-second unfiltered exposures" on November 18. It tracked the main fragments of the nucleus that were observed and tracked a few days ago, "with hints of a possible fourth piece." Several other observations also captured the comet with a broken nucleus. The Astronomers Telegram reported on November 10 that K1/ATLAS had two bright outbursts between October 31 and November 4. The Hubble Space Telescope later captured four glowing fragments within the coma. These pieces were likely formed when the comet exploded, which is when it also became extremely bright.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/-other-atlas-the-golden-comet-breaks-apart-as-it-zooms-towards-earth-1763098815096">'Other Atlas', the golden comet, breaks apart as it zooms towards Earth</a>&nbsp;If it continues to undergo such disintegration, K1/ATLAS might lose its nucleus completely, turning into a headless comet with only a tail. We have had such doomed comets before as well, with C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) being the most recent one.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>How to see ‘Other Atlas’ comet K1/ATLAS</h2>The comet is quite bright and is a 10th-magnitude object in the morning sky. To locate it, look towards Ursa Major at around 2 am. By November 20, it is expected to remain visible throughout the night.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/-other-atlas-turns-golden-following-trip-to-the-sun-that-should-have-shredded-it-to-pieces-1762430013874">The 'other Atlas' comet that should have died near the Sun turns GOLDEN</a>&nbsp;<h2>When will the ‘Other Atlas’ come near Earth?</h2> Comet K1/ATLAS originated in the Oort Cloud, the most distant region of the solar system. It reached its closest point to the Sun on October 8, brushing past our star at a distance of 49 million kilometres. It wasn't expected to survive this encounter as the gravitational pull of the Sun was expected to tear it to shreds. But it made it out safely and is now zooming towards Earth. Recent observations showed it had broken into at least three pieces. Following its meeting with the Sun, it turned golden, a rare occurrence for comets. But now it is at risk of becoming all tail, no head. Astronomers will continue to monitor C/2025 K1 as it travels towards Earth. On November 25, it will be 60 million km away from Earth. The <a href="https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/2025/11/18/comet-c-2025-k1-atlas-fragmentation-new-image-with-likely-a-new-piece-and-animation-18-nov-2025/">Virtual Telescope Project</a> has planned a live stream on this day.

The 'Other Atlas' comet, C/2025 K1 ATLAS, has broken further and now possibly has four fragments, according to the latest observations. Experts say that if it continues to disintegrate, it might turn into a “doomed comet”, one that has a tail but no head.

Comet C/2025 K1 ATLAS, dubbed the "other Atlas", is still breaking apart, with the latest images showing that it has possibly split into four pieces. Observations from the Virtual Telescope Project show that the golden comet is bearing the wrath of the radiation from the Sun, and pretty soon, a tail might be all that's left of it. The project shared the latest "sigma-clipping combination of 7, 60-second unfiltered exposures" on November 18. It tracked the main fragments of the nucleus that were observed and tracked a few days ago, "with hints of a possible fourth piece." Several other observations also captured the comet with a broken nucleus. The Astronomers Telegram reported on November 10 that K1/ATLAS had two bright outbursts between October 31 and November 4. The Hubble Space Telescope later captured four glowing fragments within the coma. These pieces were likely formed when the comet exploded, which is when it also became extremely bright. Also Read: 'Other Atlas', the golden comet, breaks apart as it zooms towards Earth If it continues to undergo such disintegration, K1/ATLAS might lose its nucleus completely, turning into a headless comet with only a tail. We have had such doomed comets before as well, with C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) being the most recent one. How to see ‘Other Atlas’ comet K1/ATLAS The comet is quite bright and is a 10th-magnitude object in the morning sky. To locate it, look towards Ursa Major at around 2 am. By November 20, it is expected to remain visible throughout the night. Also Read: The 'other Atlas' comet that should have died near the Sun turns GOLDEN When will the ‘Other Atlas’ come near Earth? Comet K1/ATLAS originated in the Oort Cloud, the most distant region of the solar system. It reached its closest point to the Sun on October 8, brushing past our star at a distance of 49 million kilometres. It wasn't expected to survive this encounter as the gravitational pull of the Sun was expected to tear it to shreds. But it made it out safely and is now zooming towards Earth. Recent observations showed it had broken into at least three pieces. Following its meeting with the Sun, it turned golden, a rare occurrence for comets. But now it is at risk of becoming all tail, no head. Astronomers will continue to monitor C/2025 K1 as it travels towards Earth. On November 25, it will be 60 million km away from Earth. The Virtual Telescope Project has planned a live stream on this day.

The 'Other Atlas' comet, C/2025 K1 ATLAS, has broken further and now possibly has four fragments, according to the latest observations. Experts say that if it continues to disintegrate, it might turn into a “doomed comet”, one that has a tail but no head.

Headless comet? 'Other Atlas' could soon be all tail, no head as it zooms towards Earth

Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS), dubbed the “other Atlas”, has broken up into several pieces. It was discovered in May by astronomers at the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) and reached perihelion on October 8. It was expected to be killed by our star, but observations showed that it survived. However, astronomer Gianluca Masi in Manciano, Italy, has now discovered that the comet has fragmented into several pieces. The gravitational force of the Sun stretched it to the limit, breaking it apart while letting it survive. "Several parts (sub-nuclei or clouds of debris) are visible, also a plume just below the leading (the first from the left) fragment," Masi, the founder of The Virtual Telescope Project, shared. It is called the “other Atlas” because right now, C/2025 N1 ATLAS, or 3I/ATLAS, is hogging all the limelight for being only the third interstellar visitor.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/-other-atlas-turns-golden-following-trip-to-the-sun-that-should-have-shredded-it-to-pieces-1762430013874">The 'other Atlas' comet that should have died near the Sun turns GOLDEN</a>&nbsp;C/2025 K1 suddenly brightened around perihelion, changing it colour from green to golden, a rarity for comets. Astrophotographer Dan Bartlett took a photo of the comet from June Lake in California, with a distinct golden glow and a long ribbon-like tail visible. &nbsp;"This comet was not supposed to survive its October 8th perihelion, but it did," he said. It’s not clear why the comet turned golden, but some scientists believe it could be due to the relative lack of carbon-bearing molecules in the comet's coma. C/2025 K1 is now moving towards Earth, and will pass at its closest point on November 25, when it will be 60 million km away. It is expected to lose more matter till then. So we’ll have to wait and watch how it continues to change till then.&nbsp;<h2>C/2025 K1 turns into a golden ribbon</h2> Most comets turn green near the Sun because of either dicarbon or cyanide in their comas. "Devil comet" 12P/Pons-Brooks and C/2022 E3, also known as the "green comet", also had a greenish hue. But the “other Atlas” turned golden, and astronomer David Schleicher says that this could be because it lacks "carbon-bearing molecules, such as dicarbon, carbon monoxide and cyanide." Only two other comets are known to exhibit similar features, he says. However, he said, "we don't know exactly why" since it could have also been caused by the solar flyby or its relatively low ratio of gas to dust. &nbsp;

Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS), or the “other Atlas”, has broken up into several pieces after perihelion. Astronomer Gianluca Masi shared pictures of the comet taken from Italy. It is now moving towards Earth and will be 60 million km at its closest point. 

Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS), dubbed the “other Atlas”, has broken up into several pieces. It was discovered in May by astronomers at the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) and reached perihelion on October 8. It was expected to be killed by our star, but observations showed that it survived. However, astronomer Gianluca Masi in Manciano, Italy, has now discovered that the comet has fragmented into several pieces. The gravitational force of the Sun stretched it to the limit, breaking it apart while letting it survive. "Several parts (sub-nuclei or clouds of debris) are visible, also a plume just below the leading (the first from the left) fragment," Masi, the founder of The Virtual Telescope Project, shared. It is called the “other Atlas” because right now, C/2025 N1 ATLAS, or 3I/ATLAS, is hogging all the limelight for being only the third interstellar visitor. Also Read: The 'other Atlas' comet that should have died near the Sun turns GOLDEN C/2025 K1 suddenly brightened around perihelion, changing it colour from green to golden, a rarity for comets. Astrophotographer Dan Bartlett took a photo of the comet from June Lake in California, with a distinct golden glow and a long ribbon-like tail visible. "This comet was not supposed to survive its October 8th perihelion, but it did," he said. It’s not clear why the comet turned golden, but some scientists believe it could be due to the relative lack of carbon-bearing molecules in the comet's coma. C/2025 K1 is now moving towards Earth, and will pass at its closest point on November 25, when it will be 60 million km away. It is expected to lose more matter till then. So we’ll have to wait and watch how it continues to change till then. C/2025 K1 turns into a golden ribbon Most comets turn green near the Sun because of either dicarbon or cyanide in their comas. "Devil comet" 12P/Pons-Brooks and C/2022 E3, also known as the "green comet", also had a greenish hue. But the “other Atlas” turned golden, and astronomer David Schleicher says that this could be because it lacks "carbon-bearing molecules, such as dicarbon, carbon monoxide and cyanide." Only two other comets are known to exhibit similar features, he says. However, he said, "we don't know exactly why" since it could have also been caused by the solar flyby or its relatively low ratio of gas to dust.

Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS), or the “other Atlas”, has broken up into several pieces after perihelion. Astronomer Gianluca Masi shared pictures of the comet taken from Italy. It is now moving towards Earth and will be 60 million km at its closest point.&nbsp;

'Other Atlas', the golden comet, breaks apart as it zooms towards Earth

The Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) discovered a comet in May, which shouldn't have survived its trip to the Sun, but it is still around. C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) has turned into a spectacular golden ribbon following its encounter with the Sun. Dubbed the "other ATLAS", this comet has mainly been sidelined lately ever since 3I/ATLAS became the hottest commodity in space. While we were all busy wondering whether it was an "alien mothership", C/2025 K1 quietly made the trip to the Sun and only lost some of its portion. It made an extremely close encounter with our star, coming within 50 million kilometres on October 8. The gravitational pull of the Sun was expected to tear it to shreds, but that didn't happen. Meanwhile, on October 29, when 3I/ATLAS reached perihelion, astrophotographer Dan Bartlett took a photo of C/2025 K1 from June Lake in California, showing a distinct golden glow and a long tail. The solar winds seem to have boosted the tail to appear more flared.&nbsp;Bartlett talked to Spaceweather.com about his observation. "This comet was not supposed to survive its October 8th perihelion, but it did," he said. It is now displaying "a red/brown/golden colour rarely seen in comets." Two other photographers in California and in Arizona also made similar observations about the comet, Live Science reported. Comets can change colour due to the presence of various chemicals. Typically, they are white since the sunlight reflected by them contains all wavelengths of visible light.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/nasa-data-shows-3i-atlas-suddenly-sped-up-changed-path-after-perihelion-1762427938689">NASA data shows 3I/ATLAS suddenly sped up, changed path after perihelion</a> &nbsp;<h2>The green comets</h2>The infamous "Devil comet" 12P/Pons-Brooks and C/2022 E3, also known as the "green comet", turned green because of either dicarbon or cyanide in their comas. 3I/ATLAS turned blue, which could be because of carbon monoxide or ammonia. But comets don't typically turn golden, which is the case with C/2025 K1 (ATLAS).Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/live-blog-3i-atlas-live-tracker-where-is-3i-atlas-how-far-from-earth-how-to-locate-it-1762410913806">3I/ATLAS Live Tracker: China releases image of 3I/ATLAS taken by Tianwen-1 Mars Orbiter</a> &nbsp;<h2>Why did C/2025 K1 become golden?</h2>Astronomer David Schleicher says that the comet lacks "carbon-bearing molecules, such as dicarbon, carbon monoxide and cyanide." Only two other comets are known to exhibit similar features, he says. He told Spaceweather.com that this absence has likely made it golden, although &nbsp;"we don't know exactly why" since it could have also been caused by the solar flyby or its relatively low ratio of gas to dust.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/comet-fragment-travelling-at-81-000-km-hr-explodes-over-portugal-a-second-one-recorded-nearby-1762333330392">Comet fragment travelling at 81,000 km/hr explodes over Portugal, a second one recorded nearby</a> &nbsp;&nbsp;C/2025 K1 has brightened to a magnitude of 9, but can't be seen with the naked eye. You will need a good pair of binoculars or a telescope to view the comet. Look towards the constellations Virgo and Leo in the eastern sky, and you can locate it somewhere in the middle. &nbsp;It will reach its closest point to Earth on November 25. Right now, it can be best viewed shortly before sunrise, according to Spaceweather.com.

C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) has turned golden, uncommon for comets. It was not supposed to survive its trip to the Sun, but somehow it did. However, the close encounter with our star seemed to have changed it, turning it into a golden ribbon.

The Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) discovered a comet in May, which shouldn't have survived its trip to the Sun, but it is still around. C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) has turned into a spectacular golden ribbon following its encounter with the Sun. Dubbed the "other ATLAS", this comet has mainly been sidelined lately ever since 3I/ATLAS became the hottest commodity in space. While we were all busy wondering whether it was an "alien mothership", C/2025 K1 quietly made the trip to the Sun and only lost some of its portion. It made an extremely close encounter with our star, coming within 50 million kilometres on October 8. The gravitational pull of the Sun was expected to tear it to shreds, but that didn't happen. Meanwhile, on October 29, when 3I/ATLAS reached perihelion, astrophotographer Dan Bartlett took a photo of C/2025 K1 from June Lake in California, showing a distinct golden glow and a long tail. The solar winds seem to have boosted the tail to appear more flared. Bartlett talked to Spaceweather.com about his observation. "This comet was not supposed to survive its October 8th perihelion, but it did," he said. It is now displaying "a red/brown/golden colour rarely seen in comets." Two other photographers in California and in Arizona also made similar observations about the comet, Live Science reported. Comets can change colour due to the presence of various chemicals. Typically, they are white since the sunlight reflected by them contains all wavelengths of visible light. Also Read: NASA data shows 3I/ATLAS suddenly sped up, changed path after perihelion The green comets The infamous "Devil comet" 12P/Pons-Brooks and C/2022 E3, also known as the "green comet", turned green because of either dicarbon or cyanide in their comas. 3I/ATLAS turned blue, which could be because of carbon monoxide or ammonia. But comets don't typically turn golden, which is the case with C/2025 K1 (ATLAS). Also Read: 3I/ATLAS Live Tracker: China releases image of 3I/ATLAS taken by Tianwen-1 Mars Orbiter Why did C/2025 K1 become golden? Astronomer David Schleicher says that the comet lacks "carbon-bearing molecules, such as dicarbon, carbon monoxide and cyanide." Only two other comets are known to exhibit similar features, he says. He told Spaceweather.com that this absence has likely made it golden, although "we don't know exactly why" since it could have also been caused by the solar flyby or its relatively low ratio of gas to dust. Also Read: Comet fragment travelling at 81,000 km/hr explodes over Portugal, a second one recorded nearby C/2025 K1 has brightened to a magnitude of 9, but can't be seen with the naked eye. You will need a good pair of binoculars or a telescope to view the comet. Look towards the constellations Virgo and Leo in the eastern sky, and you can locate it somewhere in the middle. It will reach its closest point to Earth on November 25. Right now, it can be best viewed shortly before sunrise, according to Spaceweather.com.

C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) has turned golden, uncommon for comets. It was not supposed to survive its trip to the Sun, but somehow it did. However, the close encounter with our star seemed to have changed it, turning it into a golden ribbon.

The 'other Atlas' comet that should have died near the Sun turns GOLDEN

Forget 3I/ATLAS for a minute and pay attention to the comet that has been regularly visiting us and beams radio signals every time it comes near Earth. Scientists say that Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, a Halley-type comet that returns around every 71 years, has been observed releasing multiple outbursts of brightness and radio signals. The finding was published in the journal Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics. A group of astronomers led by the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences studied data from its last approach in 2024 and made the intriguing observation. The Tianma Radio Telescope gathered information about the comet and detected a spike in the spectral line associated with hydroxyl, released when the Sun’s radiation breaks down water vapour.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/3i-atlas-could-release-tiny-probes-that-may-self-replicate-technological-mothership-could-reveal-itself-1760106824868">3I/Atlas could release tiny probes that may 'self-replicate' - 'Technological mothership' could reveal itself</a>&nbsp;Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks became extremely bright in 2024, puzzling scientists. This meant it was outgassing quite wildly. To understand what was going on, the researchers at the observatory created a model gauging changes in the rates of water production with every outburst. Tianma examined L-band and K-band radio waves. At a distance of one astronomical unit, the comet was found to be releasing more than five tons of water vapour, beyond anything ever observed in other comets belonging to this group. They ascertained that Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is much more active than other Halley-type comets. They also found ammonia molecules for the first time in a Halley-type comet.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-latest-update-acid-test-sun-earth-1761620995309">BINGO! 3I/ATLAS undergoes acid test near Sun: 'If it picks up extra...'</a> &nbsp;<h2>Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks has water nearly identical to Earth's</h2>The researchers are hoping to learn more about Halley-type comets using the observations of Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks. “These results could further our understanding of the composition and activity of Halley-type comets," they wrote. This comet also displayed some intriguing features during earlier observations. A few months ago, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center researcher Martin Cordiner stated that the comet contains water that’s almost identical to what is present on Earth. This, combined with the recent finding of the fast release of a free radical made up of a hydrogen and oxygen atom, strengthens the idea that some comets brought water to Earth, making it habitable.

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is not the only cosmic body making news. Radio signals from distant parts of the universe have regularly been observed. Now scientists have noticed a Halley-type comet sending out signals. This comet returns to the centre of the solar system every 71 years.

Forget 3I/ATLAS for a minute and pay attention to the comet that has been regularly visiting us and beams radio signals every time it comes near Earth. Scientists say that Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, a Halley-type comet that returns around every 71 years, has been observed releasing multiple outbursts of brightness and radio signals. The finding was published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. A group of astronomers led by the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences studied data from its last approach in 2024 and made the intriguing observation. The Tianma Radio Telescope gathered information about the comet and detected a spike in the spectral line associated with hydroxyl, released when the Sun’s radiation breaks down water vapour. Also Read: 3I/Atlas could release tiny probes that may 'self-replicate' - 'Technological mothership' could reveal itself Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks became extremely bright in 2024, puzzling scientists. This meant it was outgassing quite wildly. To understand what was going on, the researchers at the observatory created a model gauging changes in the rates of water production with every outburst. Tianma examined L-band and K-band radio waves. At a distance of one astronomical unit, the comet was found to be releasing more than five tons of water vapour, beyond anything ever observed in other comets belonging to this group. They ascertained that Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is much more active than other Halley-type comets. They also found ammonia molecules for the first time in a Halley-type comet. Also Read: BINGO! 3I/ATLAS undergoes acid test near Sun: 'If it picks up extra...' Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks has water nearly identical to Earth's The researchers are hoping to learn more about Halley-type comets using the observations of Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks. “These results could further our understanding of the composition and activity of Halley-type comets," they wrote. This comet also displayed some intriguing features during earlier observations. A few months ago, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center researcher Martin Cordiner stated that the comet contains water that’s almost identical to what is present on Earth. This, combined with the recent finding of the fast release of a free radical made up of a hydrogen and oxygen atom, strengthens the idea that some comets brought water to Earth, making it habitable.

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is not the only cosmic body making news. Radio signals from distant parts of the universe have regularly been observed. Now scientists have noticed a Halley-type comet sending out signals. This comet returns to the centre of the solar system every 71 years.

71-year comet is firing mysterious radio signals, and scientists are stunned

Comet Lemmon's bright tail was cut off by solar wind on camera. An astrophotographer captured the rare cosmic sight as a huge portion of the comet's tail came off. This created a dazzling spectacle in the night sky, as visible in the video. Brennan Gilmore recorded the solar wind chopping off Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon)’s tail as it races towards the inner solar system. Comet Lemmon is set to become one of the brightest objects in the sky soon. It is getting brighter before its date with Earth on October 21. The time-lapse footage of the rare “disconnection event" &nbsp;from October 2 shows charged particles from the Sun running towards the comet and severing its tail from the body. This gouged a gap in Lemmon's tail.&nbsp;As comets approach the Sun, the solar winds and the heat lead the comet to undergo a process known as outgassing. The dust, debris and ice around the comet start being released, creating a tail that is hundreds of kilometres long. This can also happen because of the gravitational force and the speed of the comet itself as it comes near the Sun. A glowing green coma around Comet Lemmon’s nucleus can be seen in Gilmore's images. A long luminous tail stretches behind it, and the charged particles soon cut into it. The comet was in the constellation Leo Minor near the bright star TW Leonis Minoris when the solar winds snipped its tail.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/three-comets-are-coming-near-earth-this-year-visibility-dates-and-other-details-1759215193068">Three comets are coming near Earth this year. Visibility, dates of arrival and other details</a>&nbsp;Comet Lemmon is expected to become extremely bright and might become visible to the naked eye in areas with minimal light pollution. Right now, its current brightness is at magnitude +5.1. It will reach perihelion (closest point to the Sun) on November 8. It was discovered on January 3 by telescopes on Mount Lemmon in Arizona. According to NASA, the comet has a 1,396-year orbit around the Sun. It last visited Earth in the year 629 and will return in the year 3421.&nbsp;

<h2>How to find Comet Lemmon?</h2>Comet Lemon's closest approach to Earth is on October 21. To locate it, find the constellation Boötes, the Herdsman, using a telescope or a skygazing app. Before October 21, Comet Lemmon will be positioned high above the northeastern horizon just before dawn. It will then move to the evening sky as it comes near Earth. At this time, it will appear low on the northwestern horizon.

Comet Lemmon faced the fury of the sun as solar winds cut through its tail in a rare occurrence. The event was caught on camera by astrophotographer Brennan Gilmore. The comet will soon become extremely bright in the night sky.

Comet Lemmon's bright tail was cut off by solar wind on camera. An astrophotographer captured the rare cosmic sight as a huge portion of the comet's tail came off. This created a dazzling spectacle in the night sky, as visible in the video. Brennan Gilmore recorded the solar wind chopping off Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon)’s tail as it races towards the inner solar system. Comet Lemmon is set to become one of the brightest objects in the sky soon. It is getting brighter before its date with Earth on October 21. The time-lapse footage of the rare “disconnection event" from October 2 shows charged particles from the Sun running towards the comet and severing its tail from the body. This gouged a gap in Lemmon's tail. As comets approach the Sun, the solar winds and the heat lead the comet to undergo a process known as outgassing. The dust, debris and ice around the comet start being released, creating a tail that is hundreds of kilometres long. This can also happen because of the gravitational force and the speed of the comet itself as it comes near the Sun. A glowing green coma around Comet Lemmon’s nucleus can be seen in Gilmore's images. A long luminous tail stretches behind it, and the charged particles soon cut into it. The comet was in the constellation Leo Minor near the bright star TW Leonis Minoris when the solar winds snipped its tail. Also Read: Three comets are coming near Earth this year. Visibility, dates of arrival and other details Comet Lemmon is expected to become extremely bright and might become visible to the naked eye in areas with minimal light pollution. Right now, its current brightness is at magnitude +5.1. It will reach perihelion (closest point to the Sun) on November 8. It was discovered on January 3 by telescopes on Mount Lemmon in Arizona. According to NASA, the comet has a 1,396-year orbit around the Sun. It last visited Earth in the year 629 and will return in the year 3421.

Comet Lemmon faced the fury of the sun as solar winds cut through its tail in a rare occurrence. The event was caught on camera by astrophotographer Brennan Gilmore. The comet will soon become extremely bright in the night sky.

Sun chops off 1,396-year Comet Lemmon's tail in rare occurrence - Video

As the comet approaches the Sun, solar heating will cause its icy nucleus to sublimate, releasing gas and dust. This will create a bright coma and tail, making 3I/ATLAS potentially visible to the naked eye under dark skies.

As the comet approaches the Sun, solar heating will cause its icy nucleus to sublimate, releasing gas and dust. This will create a bright coma and tail, making 3I/ATLAS potentially visible to the naked eye under dark skies.

8 things that could happen if 3I/ATLAS gets close to Earth

Three comets are currently in the sky - C/2025 K1 (ATLAS), C/2025 R2 (SWAN), and C/2025 A6 (Lemmon). However, not all of them will be visible to the naked eye. You'll need a powerful telescope to watch at least two of these comets. There is a high chance that the third comet will become a Halloween comet and be visible to the naked eye. It is comet season since, besides these three, 3I/Atlas is also making noise for several reasons, one of them being the suspicion that it isn't a natural object. In short, there is a lot astronomy and stargazing enthusiasts can look forward to in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, here is a lowdown on the three comets and when and how to see them.<h2>C/2025 K1 (ATLAS)&nbsp;</h2>The comet was first seen in May 2025. It will make its closest approach to Earth on November 24-25, 2025. However, right now it is lost in the glare of the Sun. If it manages to survive perihelion, its closest point to the Sun, on October 8, then it is expected to put on a spectacular show. It is getting brighter as it nears the Sun. But, even if it manages to survive, its position in the sky would only let a few people see it. Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) will remain below the horizon until late November. It will be about 40 million miles from Earth and will be too dim. Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/threat-to-earth-speed-age-and-more-all-your-questions-about-interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-answered-1759204932732">Interstellar comet 3I/Atlas: Threat to Earth, speed, age and other questions answered</a><h2>Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN)</h2>This comet was discovered by amateur astronomer Vladimir Bezugly. He was scanning through images from NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) when he spotted the comet on September 11. The comet is currently about 50 million miles from Earth. It has already survived perihelion and is peaking over the western horizon. It is getting brighter and will reach its closest point to Earth on October 19, when it will be only 24 million miles from us. But you will still need a telescope to see Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN). Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-s-asteroid-bound-spacecraft-sends-its-last-laser-message-from-deep-space-here-s-why-that-matters-1759209731077">NASA's asteroid-bound spacecraft sends its last laser message from deep space. Here's why that matters</a><h2>C/2025 A6 (Lemmon)&nbsp;</h2>This is the only comet this year that you might get a chance to see with the naked eye this year. It was discovered on January 3 by telescopes on Mount Lemmon in Arizona. Hundreds of observations have been made of the comet, and the trajectory of C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) confirms that it orbits the Sun in 1,396 years. It last visited Earth in the year 629. It will next zoom past us in the year 3421. It is steadily brightening, and you might get to see it in late October before reaching perihelion on November 8.&nbsp;Two other comets are also coming closer, but will reach the skies above Earth next year. Comet 24P/Schanmasse will reach its closest point to the Sun on 8 January 2026, and to Earth on January 4. Comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchos) is travelling from the Oort cloud and was discovered on 3 March 2024. It will make its closest approach to Earth on February 17, 2026 and reach perihelion on January 20.

It is comet season once again as three comets are nearing Earth in October. But not all of them will be visible to the naked eye. Two other comets will visit early next year, in 2026. Then, we also have 3I/Atlas, which won't be visible from Earth, but is making a lot of noise.

Three comets are currently in the sky - C/2025 K1 (ATLAS), C/2025 R2 (SWAN), and C/2025 A6 (Lemmon). However, not all of them will be visible to the naked eye. You'll need a powerful telescope to watch at least two of these comets. There is a high chance that the third comet will become a Halloween comet and be visible to the naked eye. It is comet season since, besides these three, 3I/Atlas is also making noise for several reasons, one of them being the suspicion that it isn't a natural object. In short, there is a lot astronomy and stargazing enthusiasts can look forward to in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, here is a lowdown on the three comets and when and how to see them. C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) The comet was first seen in May 2025. It will make its closest approach to Earth on November 24-25, 2025. However, right now it is lost in the glare of the Sun. If it manages to survive perihelion, its closest point to the Sun, on October 8, then it is expected to put on a spectacular show. It is getting brighter as it nears the Sun. But, even if it manages to survive, its position in the sky would only let a few people see it. Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) will remain below the horizon until late November. It will be about 40 million miles from Earth and will be too dim. Also Read: Interstellar comet 3I/Atlas: Threat to Earth, speed, age and other questions answered Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) This comet was discovered by amateur astronomer Vladimir Bezugly. He was scanning through images from NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) when he spotted the comet on September 11. The comet is currently about 50 million miles from Earth. It has already survived perihelion and is peaking over the western horizon. It is getting brighter and will reach its closest point to Earth on October 19, when it will be only 24 million miles from us. But you will still need a telescope to see Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN). Also Read: NASA's asteroid-bound spacecraft sends its last laser message from deep space. Here's why that matters C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) This is the only comet this year that you might get a chance to see with the naked eye this year. It was discovered on January 3 by telescopes on Mount Lemmon in Arizona. Hundreds of observations have been made of the comet, and the trajectory of C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) confirms that it orbits the Sun in 1,396 years. It last visited Earth in the year 629. It will next zoom past us in the year 3421. It is steadily brightening, and you might get to see it in late October before reaching perihelion on November 8. Two other comets are also coming closer, but will reach the skies above Earth next year. Comet 24P/Schanmasse will reach its closest point to the Sun on 8 January 2026, and to Earth on January 4. Comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchos) is travelling from the Oort cloud and was discovered on 3 March 2024. It will make its closest approach to Earth on February 17, 2026 and reach perihelion on January 20.

It is comet season once again as three comets are nearing Earth in October. But not all of them will be visible to the naked eye. Two other comets will visit early next year, in 2026. Then, we also have 3I/Atlas, which won't be visible from Earth, but is making a lot of noise.

Three comets are coming near Earth this year. Visibility, dates of arrival and other details

A new comet is in the sky, and it was only discovered on Friday, September 12, 2025. Officially named C/2025 R2 (SWAN), it was detected by the Solar Wind Anisotropies (SWAN) instrument on the SOHO spacecraft. The comet is quite bright, at around magnitude 7. It has a long tail that stretches across 2 degrees in the sky. Right now, you cannot see it with the naked eye, although powerful binoculars might offer you a glimpse of the celestial visitor. Scientists say that C/2025 R2 (SWAN) originated from the direction of the Sun relative to Earth, and this is why it wasn't spotted until recently. After discovering this visitor. NASA/JPL worked to understand its orbit around the Sun. Their calculations show that the comet completes an orbit around the sun every 22,554 years. So the next time it will pay us a visit will be in the year 24,579. Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/asteroid-to-hit-earth-nasa-says-space-rock-bigger-than-qutub-minar-is-moving-toward-earth-1757922614708">Asteroid to hit Earth? NASA says space rock bigger than 'Qutub Minar' is moving toward Earth</a>&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Superb image of Comet C/2025 R2 SWAN. Date: 15 09 2025 UT 17h38m Location: Farm Tivoli, Namibia Credit Gerald Rhemann, Michael Jäger <a href="https://t.co/Hdi1x6fQa2">pic.twitter.com/Hdi1x6fQa2</a>&mdash; Con Stoitsis (@vivstoitsis) <a href="https://twitter.com/vivstoitsis/status/1967699421845655976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Astronomy Picture of the Day 2025 September 16 New Comet SWAN25B over Mexico Image Credit &amp; Copyright: Daniel Korona Explanation: A newly discovered comet is already visible with binoculars. The comet, C/2025 R2 (SWAN) and nicknamed SWAN25B, is brightening significantly as it… <a href="https://t.co/4aILWYbv78">pic.twitter.com/4aILWYbv78</a>&mdash; Peter Aruwa, JESUS FIRST (@YESUENLWANDANA) <a href="https://twitter.com/YESUENLWANDANA/status/1967919440588313084?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:57sa7ath7q5u43maxn5xlwm6/app.bsky.feed.post/3lyq5ux75ks2q" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreibfpom6btxa44gckwhsljeu47jdcr4fjs5apr6mf5icrdzjvl7c7i" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system">On 2025-09-13 I confirmed new bright comet SWAN25B remotely at iTelescope.Net T59 (0.51-m f/6.8
reflector) in Australia.

I measured: coma +8.9 mag. 2 arcmin., tail=18 arcmin, PA=112°

Images: 3x10s. (RGB), 60s. (Lum)

@astrodave.bsky.social
@davidbflower.bsky.social
#PhotoHour #StormHour #astronomy <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:57sa7ath7q5u43maxn5xlwm6/post/3lyq5ux75ks2q?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a>&mdash; Filipp Romanov (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:57sa7ath7q5u43maxn5xlwm6?ref_src=embed">@filipp-romanov.bsky.social</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:57sa7ath7q5u43maxn5xlwm6/post/3lyq5ux75ks2q?ref_src=embed">13 September 2025 at 21:37</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>When will comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) come near Earth?</h2>The comet reached perihelion, or its closest point to the Sun, on September 12, 2025, at a distance of 75 million kilometres. Data suggests that Earth will cross the comet’s orbit on October 5, 2025. This might also lead to a meteor shower. According to the International Astronomical Union, comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) will make its closest approach to Earth at a distance of 39 million kilometres sometime between October 12 – 19, 2025. If it survives, the comet will go far away for thousands of years, reaching its farthest distance from the Sun at 86 AU, somewhere within the outer Kuiper belt.&nbsp;Australian comet expert Michael Matiazzo took a photo of the comet on September 14 and spotted a 2.5-degree-long tail. However, this tail will not be visible through binoculars. The comet is expected to be visible in the southern US soon, as it is currently very low on the western horizon. EarthSky reported several comet hunters, experts and astrophotographers had already captured several images of the new comet.

Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) is visible from some parts of Earth right now. It was only discovered on September 12, as all this time it was suspected to be too near the Sun. Here is when to watch the new comet.

A new comet is in the sky, and it was only discovered on Friday, September 12, 2025. Officially named C/2025 R2 (SWAN), it was detected by the Solar Wind Anisotropies (SWAN) instrument on the SOHO spacecraft. The comet is quite bright, at around magnitude 7. It has a long tail that stretches across 2 degrees in the sky. Right now, you cannot see it with the naked eye, although powerful binoculars might offer you a glimpse of the celestial visitor. Scientists say that C/2025 R2 (SWAN) originated from the direction of the Sun relative to Earth, and this is why it wasn't spotted until recently. After discovering this visitor. NASA/JPL worked to understand its orbit around the Sun. Their calculations show that the comet completes an orbit around the sun every 22,554 years. So the next time it will pay us a visit will be in the year 24,579. Also Read: Asteroid to hit Earth? NASA says space rock bigger than 'Qutub Minar' is moving toward Earth

Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) is visible from some parts of Earth right now. It was only discovered on September 12, as all this time it was suspected to be too near the Sun. Here is when to watch the new comet.

Photos: New comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) that will next visit us in year 24,579 is here | When to watch

Comets are common in the universe, but not a lot of them are frequent visitors to our solar system. Those that do take the trip, do so after an interval of years. Some of them even have a 200-year period of return, making it harder to detect them. They are born towards the outer edges of the solar system and are known as long-period comets (LPCs).&nbsp;

Such comets pose a risk to Earth and can ram into the planet without being detected beforehand. As per estimates, such comets can cause up to six per cent of all impacts on Earth.

Halley's Comet probably has the shortest cycle and visits Earth every 76 years. It last came in 1986 and will next approach us in 2061. This helps scientists prepare for it. But some comets, like the recent A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, visit unannounced.

Scientists have found a way to know when such a comet might fly by Earth - Follow the trail.&nbsp;

Comets leave behind a breadcrumb-like trail of meteoroids. These cosmic visitors are icy bodies that when approaching the sun, heat up a bit, causing much of its ice to vapourise. The comet's rocks and dust turn into a meteoroid stream, and their path parallels the comet's.

When these meteoroid streams strike Earth, some of them rain down the atmosphere as meteor showers. Scientists say that these trails can help learn about the meteoroid's speed and direction of travel, leading to the discovery of the parent comets.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/happy-new-year-on-mars-nasa-celebrates-as-rovers-join-the-party-775767">Happy New Year... on Mars! NASA celebrates as rovers join the party</a>

<h2>Locating parent comets</h2>

The study authors tested the theory by looking at 17 meteor showers with known parent LPCs. Based on each shower's properties, they generated one family of synthetic LPCs for each meteoroid stream.

They then virtually placed the comet clusters at distances from where they were bright enough only for the Rubin Observatory. To know how accurate they were, they matched the locations of these synthetic comet families with the real comets' positions.&nbsp;

Most of the actual parent comets were found to largely lie in the same area, close to the centres of their respective artificial clusters. They also found that back-projecting the meteoroid streams made the field to check for parent comets much narrower.

They also found that locating comets that were billions of miles away and one day might potentially hit Earth gave experts years to do something about the incoming impact.

Samantha Hemmelgarn, a graduate student at Northern Arizona University and the study's first author, said that there are at least 247 orphaned meteoroid streams whose paths cross with Earth. "Hopefully with LSST, we will be able to detect comets on Earth crossing orbits much sooner than we can now," she said.

Comets are common in the universe, but not a lot of them are frequent visitors to our solar system. Those that do take the trip, do so after an interval of years.

Comets are common in the universe, but not a lot of them are frequent visitors to our solar system. Those that do take the trip, do so after an interval of years. Some of them even have a 200-year period of return, making it harder to detect them. They are born towards the outer edges of the solar system and are known as long-period comets (LPCs). Such comets pose a risk to Earth and can ram into the planet without being detected beforehand. As per estimates, such comets can cause up to six per cent of all impacts on Earth. Halley's Comet probably has the shortest cycle and visits Earth every 76 years. It last came in 1986 and will next approach us in 2061. This helps scientists prepare for it. But some comets, like the recent A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, visit unannounced. Scientists have found a way to know when such a comet might fly by Earth - Follow the trail. Comets leave behind a breadcrumb-like trail of meteoroids. These cosmic visitors are icy bodies that when approaching the sun, heat up a bit, causing much of its ice to vapourise. The comet's rocks and dust turn into a meteoroid stream, and their path parallels the comet's. When these meteoroid streams strike Earth, some of them rain down the atmosphere as meteor showers. Scientists say that these trails can help learn about the meteoroid's speed and direction of travel, leading to the discovery of the parent comets. Also Read: Happy New Year... on Mars! NASA celebrates as rovers join the party Locating parent comets The study authors tested the theory by looking at 17 meteor showers with known parent LPCs. Based on each shower's properties, they generated one family of synthetic LPCs for each meteoroid stream. They then virtually placed the comet clusters at distances from where they were bright enough only for the Rubin Observatory. To know how accurate they were, they matched the locations of these synthetic comet families with the real comets' positions. Most of the actual parent comets were found to largely lie in the same area, close to the centres of their respective artificial clusters. They also found that back-projecting the meteoroid streams made the field to check for parent comets much narrower. They also found that locating comets that were billions of miles away and one day might potentially hit Earth gave experts years to do something about the incoming impact. Samantha Hemmelgarn, a graduate student at Northern Arizona University and the study's first author, said that there are at least 247 orphaned meteoroid streams whose paths cross with Earth. "Hopefully with LSST, we will be able to detect comets on Earth crossing orbits much sooner than we can now," she said.

How to spot comets that can impact Earth? Look at the t(r)ail, scientists suggest

An icy body in the outer solar system is spewing hot gas and has baffled scientists for years. Centaur 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 was discovered in 1927 and undergoes highly active and quasi-periodical outbursts every six to eight weeks.

Now the James Webb Telescope has revealed fascinating details about the icy body. Using its near-infrared spectrograph instrument, a team of scientists mapped the gases it throws out. They found what it was spewing were two jets of carbon dioxide and a new jet of carbon monoxide pointed towards the Sun.

The findings were presented in a recent study published in Nature.

The discovery of the gases gives scientists an insight into how the centaur originated. Not only this but it is also expected to help them understand more about the formation of the solar system.&nbsp;

Experts think that the centaur might not be one whole piece but a combination of multiple pieces.

“The fact that Centaur 29P has such dramatic differences in the abundance of [carbon monoxide] and [carbon dioxide] across its surface suggests that 29P may be made of several pieces,” Geronimo Villanueva, co-author of the study at NASA Goddard, said in a statement.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/asteroid-saga-continues-mission-to-probe-crime-scene-on-dimorphos-ready-for-blast-off-764738">Mission to probe 'crime scene' on Dimorphos ready for blast off</a>

“Maybe two pieces coalesced together and made this centaur, which is a mixture between very different bodies that underwent separate formation pathways. It challenges our ideas about how primordial objects are created and stored in the Kuiper Belt.”

Centaurs fall somewhere between comets and asteroids. They possess the characteristics of both space bodies. They are icy and at one time used to orbit the Sun from beyond Neptune. However, giant planets have been casting gravitational influence on them, leading centaurs to slowly change their orbits.&nbsp;

They are now found between Jupiter and Neptune, although they are still similar to Trans-Neptunian objects, those cosmic bodies that lie beyond Neptune, and short-period comets.

"Centaurs can be considered as some of the leftovers of our planetary system’s formation," Sara Faggi, a researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, and lead author of the study, said in a statement.&nbsp;

Using Webb's data, the team created a model of the jets and found that&nbsp;the gases were being released from different regions on the centaur’s nucleus.&nbsp;

An icy body in the outer solar system is spewing hot gas and has baffled scientists for years. Centaur 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 was discovered in 1927 and undergoes highly active and quasi-periodical outbursts every six to eight weeks.

An icy body in the outer solar system is spewing hot gas and has baffled scientists for years. Centaur 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 was discovered in 1927 and undergoes highly active and quasi-periodical outbursts every six to eight weeks. Now the James Webb Telescope has revealed fascinating details about the icy body. Using its near-infrared spectrograph instrument, a team of scientists mapped the gases it throws out. They found what it was spewing were two jets of carbon dioxide and a new jet of carbon monoxide pointed towards the Sun. The findings were presented in a recent study published in Nature. The discovery of the gases gives scientists an insight into how the centaur originated. Not only this but it is also expected to help them understand more about the formation of the solar system. Experts think that the centaur might not be one whole piece but a combination of multiple pieces. “The fact that Centaur 29P has such dramatic differences in the abundance of [carbon monoxide] and [carbon dioxide] across its surface suggests that 29P may be made of several pieces,” Geronimo Villanueva, co-author of the study at NASA Goddard, said in a statement. Also Read: Mission to probe 'crime scene' on Dimorphos ready for blast off “Maybe two pieces coalesced together and made this centaur, which is a mixture between very different bodies that underwent separate formation pathways. It challenges our ideas about how primordial objects are created and stored in the Kuiper Belt.” Centaurs fall somewhere between comets and asteroids. They possess the characteristics of both space bodies. They are icy and at one time used to orbit the Sun from beyond Neptune. However, giant planets have been casting gravitational influence on them, leading centaurs to slowly change their orbits. They are now found between Jupiter and Neptune, although they are still similar to Trans-Neptunian objects, those cosmic bodies that lie beyond Neptune, and short-period comets. "Centaurs can be considered as some of the leftovers of our planetary system’s formation," Sara Faggi, a researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, and lead author of the study, said in a statement. Using Webb's data, the team created a model of the jets and found that the gases were being released from different regions on the centaur’s nucleus.

Centaur, an icy body in space, is shooting multiple jets of hot gas. What's going on?

In a quest to unravel the mysteries of the origin of life, a team of researchers have come up with a model which suggests how life came into existence on Earth.&nbsp;

As per scientists, there are two theories regarding how life came on Earth - one suggests that the ingredients for life came from a primordial soup on the planet and the other states that the molecules required for life, were brought from elsewhere, and were "seeded" on the Earth by the cosmos. &nbsp;

A team of scientists, while keeping the second theory in mind, came up with a model which explains how the ingredients of life may have been delivered on the Earth and how it is likely to happen on other planets outside our solar system.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-combines-data-from-two-telescopes-and-releases-stunning-image-of-universe-658781">NASA combines data from two telescopes, releases stunning image of cosmic ‘Christmas Tree’</a>

In a paper published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society A, the authors stated how "bouncing" comets are likely to have distributed the raw ingredients for life, which are known as prebiotic molecules, across the star systems which are similar to our system.&nbsp;

<h2>Study emphasised on simulating rocky exoplanets</h2>

Throughout the study, the team emphasised simulating rocky exoplanets which orbit around sun-size stars.

"We're learning more about the atmospheres of exoplanets all the time, so we wanted to see if there are planets where complex molecules could also be delivered by comets," said Richard Anslow, an astronomer at the Cambridge Institute of Astronomy, in a statement.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Gaganyaan: India's first mission to send astronauts to space

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gaganyaan-indias-first-mission-to-send-astronauts-to-space-648224/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"It's possible that the molecules that led to life on Earth came from comets. So the same could be true for planets elsewhere in the galaxy," he added.&nbsp;

"It's exciting that we can start identifying the type of systems we can use to test different origin scenarios. It's a different way to look at the great work that's already been done on Earth. What molecular pathways led to the enormous variety of life we see around us? Are there other planets where the same pathways exist? It's an exciting time, being able to combine advances in astronomy and chemistry to study some of the most fundamental questions of all," Anslow stated.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

In a quest to unravel the mysteries of the origin of life, a team of researchers have come up with a model which suggests how life came into existence on Earth. As per scientists, there are two theories regarding how life came on Earth - one suggests that the ingredients for life came from a primordial soup on the planet and the other states that the molecules required for life, were brought from elsewhere, and were "seeded" on the Earth by the cosmos.

In a quest to unravel the mysteries of the origin of life, a team of researchers have come up with a model which suggests how life came into existence on Earth. As per scientists, there are two theories regarding how life came on Earth - one suggests that the ingredients for life came from a primordial soup on the planet and the other states that the molecules required for life, were brought from elsewhere, and were "seeded" on the Earth by the cosmos. A team of scientists, while keeping the second theory in mind, came up with a model which explains how the ingredients of life may have been delivered on the Earth and how it is likely to happen on other planets outside our solar system. ALSO READ | NASA combines data from two telescopes, releases stunning image of cosmic ‘Christmas Tree’ In a paper published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society A, the authors stated how "bouncing" comets are likely to have distributed the raw ingredients for life, which are known as prebiotic molecules, across the star systems which are similar to our system. Study emphasised on simulating rocky exoplanets Throughout the study, the team emphasised simulating rocky exoplanets which orbit around sun-size stars. "We're learning more about the atmospheres of exoplanets all the time, so we wanted to see if there are planets where complex molecules could also be delivered by comets," said Richard Anslow, an astronomer at the Cambridge Institute of Astronomy, in a statement. WATCH | Gaganyaan: India's first mission to send astronauts to space "It's possible that the molecules that led to life on Earth came from comets. So the same could be true for planets elsewhere in the galaxy," he added. "It's exciting that we can start identifying the type of systems we can use to test different origin scenarios. It's a different way to look at the great work that's already been done on Earth. What molecular pathways led to the enormous variety of life we see around us? Are there other planets where the same pathways exist? It's an exciting time, being able to combine advances in astronomy and chemistry to study some of the most fundamental questions of all," Anslow stated. (With inputs from agencies)

Bouncing comets carrying seeds of life can infuse life into other cosmic bodies

comets

Comets, News on Comets, stories on Comets, articles on Comets, Comets stories at Wion, Comets news, Comets latest news