Two comets will pass close to Earth this month
This October, two newly discovered comets—C/2025 R2 (SWAN) and C/2025 A6 (Lemmon)—are making close passes by Earth, offering a rare chance to spot them with just your eyes or binoculars.
SWAN, discovered last month, is already visible at magnitude around 5.9 and will be nearest on October 19 as it moves from Libra into Scorpius.
Lemmon, found earlier this year, gets closest on October 21 and keeps brightening into November.
Where and when to see the comets
If you're in the Southern Hemisphere, look for SWAN near Beta Librae (Zubeneschamali) in early October; it shifts northward later, becoming easier to spot up north too.
Lemmon is best for Northern Hemisphere skywatchers—scan near the Big Dipper before dawn all month.
For both comets: dark skies help a lot; binoculars make things easier if city lights get in your way.