Comets visible in October 2025
Prepared by Jeffrey Kasoff, SAC Secretary, on 18-Oct
Two comets are passing by the Earth this October. The brighter one, (Lemmon) C/2025 A6, I got to observe in the predawn, betw 5:30 and 6 AM on Thurs, 16-Oct. Why did I get up and out at this ungodly time? The comet was passing just above a 3rd magnitude star, Cor Caroli in the constellation Canes Venatici. This star was a great signpost, allowing me to locate the comet in a matter of minutes about 15 degrees east of the 2nd magnitude star, Alkaid, which is the last star of the Big Dipper handle. ‘Easy as Peas’ as the fictional Forrest Gump would say. I used my trusty 10x50 Pentax Binos to observe the comet, a fuzzy patch of light. I was just 4 miles east of Ellsworth and 1 mile north of K-140 on Ave I.
You too can find this comet and possibly the dimmer (SWAN) C/2025 R2 over the next few days. Just download the following Finder Charts with the comet path and position info tables. Of course, you can also locate comets with planetarium software like Stellarium Mobile on your phone.
Get away from city lights with binoculars in hand. Look for the comets between 7:30 and 8:30 PM. The forecast for Sunday, 20-Oct and Monday, 21-Oct is clear skies with temps in the 50s. After 10 PM on the 21st the Orionid Meteor shower should peak. The best viewing of these meteors is in the wee hours after midnight with the radiant high overhead.
Finder Chart for Lemmon Finder Chart for SWAN
Positional Data for Lemmon Positional Data for SWAN
Star Chart showing Lemmon at 8 PM CDT on 20-Oct at Mushroom Rock State Park
5 degree Binocular View of Lemmon and nearby Stars 8
PM CDT on 20-Oct
Star Chart showing SWAN at 8 PM CDT on 20-Oct at Mushroom Rock State Park
5 degree Binocular View of SWAN and nearby Stars 8 PM
CDT on 20-Oct
The Finder Chart App by Dominic Ford can be accessed at link - https://in-the-sky.org/findercharts.php?obj=CK25A060&duration=90
More info on Lemmon - https://www.space.com/stargazing/how-to-find-comet-lemmon-in-the-night-sky-as-it-brightens-this-october-2025
More info on SWAN - https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/new-comet-swan25-pops-out-from-behind-the-sun/
More info on Orionids - https://www.space.com/stargazing/meteor-showers/the-orionid-meteor-shower-peaks-under-dark-moonless-skies-next-week-heres-how-to-see-it