A newly discovered kite will soon adorn our night sky.
On September 10, Vladimir Bezugly or Dnipro, Ukraine, was examining online images of a low -resolution public website that shows obeyed images. 5-9 with the solar wind anisotropy chamber (Swan) in the solar and heliospheric observer (Soho) Spaceship. It was then that he discovered a moving object, which resembles a bright stain, closes the sun. La Mancha proved to be a kite. A bright kite.
In fact, as Bezugly said later: “In my memory, this is one of the brightest comets discoveries ever made in Swan’s images,” he added: “The twentieth comet of official swan so far.” From the first Bezugly sighting, many other fans, mainly in the southern hemisphere, have seen it. The comet has since received a formal Designation of IAU September 15 as comet C/2025 R2 (Swan).
Astronomers trust magnitude To determine the brightness. The magnitude is a numerical scale used in astronomy to measure the brightness of the celestial objects, where LOER numbers indicate brighter objects, and the highest numbers indicate more attenuated objects. The brightest stars are the magnitude 0 or +1, while the limit for naked eyes visibility under a dark and non -polluted sky is considered a +6.5 magnitude.
A consensus of the most recent observations of Comet Swan indicated a magnitude of +7, which places it out of reach of naked eyes under dark skies without moon. Good binocularsHowever, it can easily bring it in sight.
The typical comet description for those who use small binoculars and telescopes is a small and condensed head or coma with a thin and weak tail that extends for approximately 2 degrees.
Nikon Prostaff P3 8×42 binocular
Nikon Prostaff P3 8×42 binoculars offer excellent optics at a modest price, which allows it to concentrate in constellations easily with 8x increase. They only reinforce with strong fiberglass and have a blow -proof design that makes them resistant to accidental drops and protuberances. Why not see more of its characteristics in our complete review of the Nikon P3 8×42 binoculars?
Syuichi Nakano, from the Central Office, calculated an orbit based on 60 different observed positions between September 12 and 14, 2025. He discovers that the comet went from perihelion, his point closest to The sun – On September 12 at a distance or 46.74 million miles (75.20 million km).
While now he is moving away from the sun, he is currently approaching the earth. It will approach us (Perigee) on October 21, when it will be 25.10 million miles (40.38 million km) away. Based on its orbital eccentricity or 0.996015, it is estimated that the time it takes Swan to make a complete circuit around the sun is of the order of approximately 1,400 years.
How bright?
Several different predictions have been made with respect to the brightness of the kite swan, since the third week of October passes closer to the earth. To date, bright forecasts issued by an expert in Japanese comets Seiichi Yoshida and Dutchmaker expert Gideon Van Buitnen Indicate that the kite will reach its maximum point between the magnitude +6 and +7, probable by placing it right on the cusp of the visibility of naked eyes, but certainly within the reach of good binoculars or small telescopes.
Daniel Green at the Central Astronomical Telegrams Agency suggests that Comet Swan moves near the magnitude of +6, from October 2 to 20, perhaps becoming a few tenths of a brighter magnitude for a few days around October 12, which means that it could become weakly visible with the united eye.
Where to find it and see perspectives
At this time, as we indicated above, Swan comet It has been mainly visible from the southern hemisphere; It is a bone too close to the sun to be easy visible north of Ecuador. But that will gradually change at the end of this month, since the comet takes a more north path. Slowly it will rise higher in the duration of the southwest sky on the first ten days of October, reaching an altitude of 12 degrees on the horizon at the end of the afternoon twilight (approximately 90 minutes after sunset).
Your tight fist is equal to approximately 10 degrees when the hero at the length of the arm. By October 28, the altitude of the comet will have risen to 30 degrees (“three fists”) on the south-southwest horizon at dusk and for October 25 it will stop in the south sky when the twilight ends, and it is not placed until after midnight.
Duration, Comet Swan will move along a path that takes it through the constellations of Pound, Scorpio” OFIUCO” SerpentariumScutum, Sagittarius” Eagle and Aquarium.
As is the case with another kite that we have discussed recently – Comet Lemmon – Viring the kite swan can be quite difficult for places that are plagued with light pollution. Remember, you are not looking for a star clear object, but something that is extending its light on a relatively large area.
Like Comet Lemmon, Comet Swan does not seem to be a dusty kite, but is mainly composed of gas. Such comets seem weaker than comets composed mainly of dust (which is a much better reflector of sunlight) and shines with a bluish white tone. The gas is activated by the ultraviolet rays of the Sun, causing the kite to shine in the same way that black light makes phosphorescent paint illuminate.
So, most of whom finally locate Comet Swan in their Binocularary ORPÍN telescopes It probably describes it as an almost circular cloud, which appears remarkable brighter and more condensed near the center. Some could also detect their weak tail that appears as a thin and narrow appendix that extends from the comet coma; Something like an “apple in a stick”, but just the type of tail exhibited by other bigger and brighter comets.
Meteor shower? (NO!)
One other attribute that has leg widely promoted on social media about Grams of the Grams of the Grams of the Grams of the Grams of the Grams of the Grams of the Grams of the grams of the grams of the grams of the grams of the grams of the grams of the grams of the grams of the grams of the grams of the grams of the grams or the exhibition of comrays. It seems that Comet Swan’s orbit crosses the orbit of the Earth just around October 5.
The assumption is that if there is any meteoric material that the kite emerges from the previous trips around the Sun, that there is the possibility that the earth will find it around the time it crosses with the orbit of the kite.
An intriguing theory, but is not likely to happen.
The reason is that the orbits of the Earth and the Swan of the Comet will not cross on October 5. What transpires is that both objects travel in turtle orbits. When looking at orbital from a very high perspective, it certainly seems that orbits interact with each other.
But in reality, according to my calculations, at the point of October 5 of our orbit, the orbit of the comet, and any possible cosmic debris that travels along it, will travel Well above our orbit And it will be surprised by about 4.4 million miles (7 million km). That is a gap too wide between the two orbits to expect any type of appearance or significant meteoritic activity.
Besids, the best opportunity to find any meteoroid thrown by Comet Sw would be behind him. But the earth reaches the point of October 5, ahead, 16 days before the comet itself passes. And we already pointed out that Comet Swan is mainly a gas comet and not a dusty comet. Therefore, it is likely not to throw a lot of material along its path around the sun. Therefore, even if we had to find the kite orbit directly, it seems that there are little chances of finding very fun debris to produce many heavenly stripes.
Joe Rao serves as a guest instructor and professor in New York Hayden Planetarium. Hello, write about astronomy to Natural History Magazine” Sky and telescope and other publications.
