New comet spotted: How to see SWAN25F
The Brief
A new comet, nicknamed SWAN25F, was given its official designation as C/2025 F2.
The comet was co-discovered by Vladimir Bezugly and Michael Mattiazzo.
The comet is best viewed looking toward the east-northeastern horizon just before sunrise.
Attention sky watchers!
A new comet has been officially announced and you might miss your chance to see it before it could potentially get burned up by the sun.
Dig deeper
The comet, nicknamed SWAN25F, was officially designated as C/2025 F2 by the Minor Planet Center on April 8, according to Earthysky.org.
The backstory
SWAN was co-discovered by Vladimir Bezugly from Ukraine and Michael Mattiazzo from Australia.
The comet was nicknamed after the SWAN Instrument which was used to discover it.
The best way to view the comet is to look toward the east-northeastern horizon just before sunrise.
Binoculars or a telescope will improve your chances of seeing it, Earthsky advised.
For those who are avid star gazers, look to the star Alpha Andromedae, or Alpheratz, the brightest of the four stars in the Great Square.
The comet will pass fairly close to Alpha Andromedae on April 13, 2025.
What's next
In a few weeks, the comet will make its closest approach to the sun and, if it survives, it could be seen during sunsets beginning in May.
The Source
Information for this article was gathered from Earthsky.org and the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory website. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Don't miss June's full moon. Best Florida viewing of rare 'Major lunar standstill'
Get ready for a special sight in the sky in June. We're in the middle of a major lunar standstill, meaning June's full moon will be at its lowest point since 2006. It's won't happen again until 2043. If you're outside, the moon will appear larger than normal low on the horizon and may even be orange or reddish. Here's what to know. The next full moon will be on Wednesday, June 11. It's known as the strawberry moon. June's full moon will be special. "In the Northern Hemisphere, it will be the lowest full moon seen until 2043, staying unusually close to the horizon " according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. Look for the full moon at 3:44 a.m. ET June 11, about 22 degrees above the southern horizon. "When the moon is low in the sky it appears especially big." The last time the full moon was this low was 18.6 years ago, according to in what's known as a major lunar standstill. It won't happen again until 2043. As the moon shines through the thick layer of air, it may appear golden, orange, or even reddish. June's full moon is the closest full moon to the summer solstice, which falls on June 21 this year. The summer solstice marks the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Look toward the southern horizon at 3:44 a.m. ET on June 11. Can't pull yourself out of bed? You can see it later but that's the time it will reach its peak. Make sure you have a clear view since the moon will only be about 22 degrees above the horizon. "Every day, the moon rises in the east and sets in the west, but the location of the moonrise and moonset on the horizon changes, moving from north to south to north again over the course of a month. Throughout the 18.6-year lunar cycle, the northernmost and southernmost extremes also change," said. "During a major lunar standstill, the northernmost and southernmost moonrise and moonset are at their farthest distance apart. This affects how long the moon appears to stay in the sky." Called a 'major lunar standstill,' the natural phenomenon doesn't take place over one day but over about two years when the moon rises and sets at more northerly and southerly spots along the horizon, said. The summer solstice occurs at 10:41 p.m. ET, June 20 this year. The solstice marks the exact time when the sun reaches it northernmost point in the sky, according to EarthSky. In the Northern Hemisphere, the June solstice marks the shortest night and longest day of the year. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: June full moon, major lunar standstill. Where, when see Florida
Indianapolis Star
4 days ago
- Indianapolis Star
Look up: Venus nears its greatest distance from sunrise. Plus, a New Moon is coming soon.
May is nearing an end, but the night sky still has plenty to offer for stargazers this month. Several visible planets, a New Moon, Venus' pull from the sunrise and Manhattanhenge will all occur within the coming week. Throughout the remainder of May, Jupiter, Saturn and Venus are visible in the early morning and evening hours. In the evening, Jupiter will be visible low, toward the western horizon each night. And in the mornings, both Venus and Saturn will be visible in the sky, shining in the east for about an hour before sunrise, according to space publication EarthSky. But planets aren't the only things to keep an eye out for as May comes to a close. Here's a look at some stargazing highlights through June 1. Stargazing: This US airport was just Dark Sky certified Exploring outer space: Where are the best places to view the night sky? Astrotourism explained Stargazing this May? The Big Dipper and Leo the Lion will be the easiest collections of stars to spot. Here's how: For a map of the best places to stargaze, visit EarthSky's interactive map at On the morning of Sunday, May 25, about 30 minutes before sunrise, a thin, waning crescent and bright Venus will be visible near the eastern horizon, according to EarthSky. The next New Moon will fall at around 11:02 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 27, EarthSky reports. Because the moon isn't visible during this phase, it will be one of the best nights to go stargazing, as the night sky isn't illuminated. Manhattanhenge, or Manhattan Soloistic, happens twice a year when the setting sun is aligned with the east-west streets of Manhattan's main grid, illuminating both the north and south sides of the borough. The upcoming Manhattanhenge will occur at around 8:13 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 28, according to the American Museum of Natural History. According to NYC Parks and the American Museum of Natural History, the best places to view Manhattanhenge are: The next Manhattanhenge to occur this year will be around 8:22 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 12. Since March, Venus has been visible in the morning sky, just east of sunrise. But the planet's greatest elongation, when it will be the farthest from sunrise, is coming up on Sunday, June 1 at midnight ET. This occurs when Venus is the farthest from the sun on the sky's dome, according to EarthSky.
Indianapolis Star
4 days ago
- Indianapolis Star
Look up: Venus nears its greatest distance from sunrise. Plus, a New Moon is coming soon.
May is nearing an end, but the night sky still has plenty to offer for stargazers this month. Several visible planets, a New Moon, Venus' pull from the sunrise and Manhattanhenge will all occur within the coming week. Throughout the remainder of May, Jupiter, Saturn and Venus are visible in the early morning and evening hours. In the evening, Jupiter will be visible low, toward the western horizon each night. And in the mornings, both Venus and Saturn will be visible in the sky, shining in the east for about an hour before sunrise, according to space publication EarthSky. But planets aren't the only things to keep an eye out for as May comes to a close. Here's a look at some stargazing highlights through June 1. Stargazing: This US airport was just Dark Sky certified Exploring outer space: Where are the best places to view the night sky? Astrotourism explained Stargazing this May? The Big Dipper and Leo the Lion will be the easiest collections of stars to spot. Here's how: For a map of the best places to stargaze, visit EarthSky's interactive map at On the morning of Sunday, May 25, about 30 minutes before sunrise, a thin, waning crescent and bright Venus will be visible near the eastern horizon, according to EarthSky. The next New Moon will fall at around 11:02 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 27, EarthSky reports. Because the moon isn't visible during this phase, it will be one of the best nights to go stargazing, as the night sky isn't illuminated. Manhattanhenge, or Manhattan Soloistic, happens twice a year when the setting sun is aligned with the east-west streets of Manhattan's main grid, illuminating both the north and south sides of the borough. The upcoming Manhattanhenge will occur at around 8:13 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 28, according to the American Museum of Natural History. According to NYC Parks and the American Museum of Natural History, the best places to view Manhattanhenge are: The next Manhattanhenge to occur this year will be around 8:22 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 12. Since March, Venus has been visible in the morning sky, just east of sunrise. But the planet's greatest elongation, when it will be the farthest from sunrise, is coming up on Sunday, June 1 at midnight ET. This occurs when Venus is the farthest from the sun on the sky's dome, according to EarthSky.
