Three cosmic events to coincide on October 21-22

Technology Oct 09, 2025

Mark your calendars: on the night of October 21-22, you can catch a rare double feature in the sky as comets SWAN (C/2025 R2) and Lemmon (C/2025 A6) swing close to Earth—right when the Orionid meteor shower peaks and the new moon keeps skies extra dark.

How to spot the comets

Look southwest after sunset to find Comet SWAN in Libra, drifting northeast through Ophiuchus.
Comet Lemmon will glow in the northwest, just below the Big Dipper, and should get brighter as it approaches.
Both comets are closest to Earth on October 21.

When and where to see the Orionids

Stay up late for the Orionids, which will sprinkle up to 20 meteors an hour after midnight as Orion rises in the southeast.
Thanks to the new moon, you'll have a clear, dark canvas for this cosmic triple feature.