Latest news with #SWAN25F
South Wales Argus
26-04-2025
- Science
- South Wales Argus
News about the planet that could have hosted life
For centuries, humankind has looked high and low for such evidence with Mars the main focus of attention, then in more recent years, the possibility of life existing in the atmosphere that surrounds Venus. Despite a barrage of missions, Mars still refuses to give up its secrets, with the brief glimmer that life may exist on Venus all but discounted. Now, as technology reaches further into space with hardware such as the James Webb Space Telescope, (JWST), we may have finally made a cosmic connection. A planet nearly three-times the size of Earth has been touted as having strong evidence of the existence of life outside of our own world. Planet K2-18b exists in what's known as a 'habitable zone', a distance where a key ingredient for life, liquid water, can exist on a planetary body. Scientists at Cambridge have detected 'biosignature gases' which are only present where there has been or still is life. Whilst not a many-tentacle, googly-eyed being awaiting our contact, it seems K2-18b is home to a vast ocean, and in it, life that is potentially teeming. This artist's impression sees K2-18b orbiting its own star, just as Earth orbits our Sun. However, as the dust settles after these revelations, the balloon of expectation seems to have been burst with the world of science viewing the data gleaned from the JWST with fresh eyes, and subsequently casting doubt over its interpretation. Caution and scepticism are being applied in heavy measures and it would seem that K2-18b may be chalked down as yet another false alarm. Comet SWAN 25F, which made a brief appearance in our skies a couple of weeks ago, is thought to have not survived its journey around the Sun. It was expected that the comet, which for a time sat just above the east-northeast horizon before dawn, would reappear on the other side of the Sun, becoming a potential naked eye object for observers in the southern hemisphere. Alas, it would seem that the immense gravitational forces of the Sun have simply torn the comet apart. Both Jupiter and Mars remain on view in the evening sky with Venus continuing to dominate the pre-dawn sky as the 'morning star'. On the evening of Wednesday, April 30, look to the northwest after sunset to try and spot a waxing Moon sitting just to the north of Jupiter. To locate Mars, pan upwards and to the left, with the red planet not overly far from Castor and Pollux, the two brightest stars in Gemini. The International Space Station makes several every early morning passes over the region this week. On Tuesday, April 29, the ISS rises in the west at 4.20am, setting in the northeast six minutes later. There's a rerun of this on Thursday, May 1, with the ISS rising in the west at 4.20am and setting in the east seven minutes later. Send your astrophotography pictures to: thenightsky@
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A Newly Discovered Comet is Dazzling Skygazers—Here's How to See It While You Can
A newly discovered comet is currently visible in the morning sky using a small telescope or binoculars. The comet, which was designated as C/2025 F2 (SWAN), was detected by SWAN, an instrument on the SOHO spacecraft. C/2025 F2 (SWAN) will be visible from the Northern Hemisphere throughout April and is expected to reach perihelion on May are in for an exciting surprise throughout April—a new glowing green comet was recently discovered and is currently visible with a small telescope or binoculars. The comet was detected by SWAN, an instrument on the European Space Agency's SOHO spacecraft, which was designed to study the sun. On April 8, the comet was designated as C/2025 F2 (SWAN) by the Minor Planet Center. It's also referred to by the nickname SWAN25F. C/2025 F2 (SWAN) was discovered by Vladimir Bezugly from Ukraine and Michael Mattiazzo from Australia. Per EarthSky, both amateur astronomers detected the comet on March 29 by examining images taken by the SOHO spacecraft. Mattiazzo posted a photo of the glowing green comet to X. The comet is currently visible with binoculars or a small telescope. To see it, look toward the northeastern horizon just before sunrise. In late April, the comet may be visible during evening hours as it approaches perihelion—its nearest point to the sun—which it is expected to reach on May 1. According to The Planetary Society, there will be a new moon on April 27, which may make seeing the comet easier. SWAN25F has gotten notably brighter since it was initially discovered. If it continues to brighten, it may be visible to the naked eye. However, The Planetary Society notes that it is difficult to predict what comets will look like in advance. By early May, the comet will no longer be visible from most of the Northern Hemisphere, so be sure to catch a glimpse of this rare phenomenon while you can. That said, those in the Southern Hemisphere will be able to see the comet in May just after sunset above the horizon. Read the original article on Martha Stewart
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
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 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 and the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory website. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
Axios
10-04-2025
- Science
- Axios
Morning skies host new green comet
Early risers may be in store for a celestial treat: a brand-new comet is streaking through our morning sky. Driving the news: Comet SWAN25F is currently visible through binoculars low on the east-northeastern horizon just before sunrise. The comet was discovered last month by amateur astronomers using publicly available images from the SWAN (Solar Wind Anisotropies) camera system aboard NASA's SOHO spacecraft, which monitors solar activity. Zoom in: To find it, look near Alpheratz, the brightest star in the Great Square of Pegasus. The comet is heading toward Andromeda and will pass near Alpheratz around April 13, according to EarthSky. Context: It glows green thanks to sunlight reacting with carbon molecules in its coma, a common feature of comets making their way toward the sun, per Sky & Telescope. By then, it could shift to sunset viewing, per EarthSky, making for a spectacular sight if skies cooperate.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
There's a new comet in the sky, and it's already visible through binoculars
One of the great things about astronomy is that it's full of surprises, especially when it comes to comets — you just can't predict when a new one might pop up. But when one does appear, it gets both amateur and professional astronomers very excited. And that's why there's a lot of buzz around a recently discovered comet that is now visible through binoculars, if you know where to look. The comet is so new that it doesn't yet have an official designation, which is provided by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center (MPC). For now it goes by the name SWAN25F. It's named in part after the SWAN (Solar Wind Anisotropies) camera on board NASA and the European Space Agency's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft. It should get an official name soon. The comet was discovered by Australian amateur astronomer Michael Mattiazzo, who used SWAN images available to the public. He previously used the same method to discover a comet in 2020. Right now, the SWAN25F can be found in the early morning sky low in the eastern horizon, in the constellation Pegasus. But over the next few weeks, as the comet moves through our solar system, it will rise a little higher in the morning sky. The comet is so new that the MPC is waiting for additional observations to get more information from it, such as its origin. However, Paul Wiegert, a professor at Western University's department of physics and astronomy in London, Ont., said that at the moment, its believed to come from the furthest reaches of our solar system, called the Oort cloud, where hundreds of millions — or even trillions — of icy objects reside. SWAN25F, seen here, was photographed by amateur astronomer Rolando Ligustri using a remote telescope in Utah. (Rolandro Ligustri) The Oort cloud is mind-blowingly far away. The distance from the sun to Earth is roughly 150 million kilometres, and that measurement is called one astronomical unit (AU). The distance from the sun to the Oort cloud is estimated to be anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 AU. When and how to see it If you'd like to see this ancient relic left over from the formation of our solar system, you need a few things. First, you need to get up early. SWAN25F is currently low on the eastern horizon and visible before sunrise. You can download astronomy apps on your phone that will allow you to search for particular constellations — in this case, Pegasus. Second, you need a pair of binoculars. At the moment, the comet isn't visible to the naked eye. It's currently at magnitude 8. Visually, the naked eye can only see magnitude 6 in dark-sky locations (in astronomy, brightness is on a scale where lower and negative numbers signify brighter objects). (CBC News) Third, you need a bit of luck. SWAN25F reached its closest point to the sun, called perihelion, some time in February. Now, it's heading toward us, which is in part why it's getting brighter. But whether or not that brightness will continue is unknown. Astronomers are hoping it will become visible to the naked eye by the end of the month. "We expect it to get brighter, not because it's necessarily getting more solar heating and being more active and producing more of the gasses that we see, but our geometry relative to it, we're going to get closer to it," Wiegert said. "And all of those details are going to work in its favour. So we're hoping that it's going to get quite a bit brighter over the next month or so." And that luck also extends to having clear skies. If the comet does continue to remain intact and not break apart as some do — though it's passed the most dangerous time for this to happen, when its closest to the sun — it should continue to both brighten in the sky and rise higher in the next three weeks. Amateur astronomer Dan Bartlett imaged SWAN25F from June Lake, Cali., (Dan Bartlett) But be warned: the comet won't look like the photos you see online, or even in this story. Those images are made by shooting multiple photographs through telescopes and combining them together. Instead, what you'll see through your binoculars will be a faint fuzzy patch of light. And while that may not seem very exciting, just think about how far that object has travelled. "A new comet is always exciting. They appear unexpectedly. They're quite beautiful. They do tell us a lot, too, about our solar system, and about how the planets formed," Wiegert said. "So, you know, it's a sort of a beautiful addition to our springtime skies."
