New comet 'SWAN25F' in morning sky

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"SWAN25F" Comet. (Credit: Michael Jäger, Gerald Rhemann)

 

 

Australian amateur astronomer Michael Mattiazzo first identified Comet SWAN25F by analyzing SWAN imagery, which monitors hydrogen in the solar wind. Early observations suggest that the comet is rich in hydrogen, contributing to its vibrant green appearance.
 

Astronomers worldwide have been actively capturing images of Comet SWAN25F, however, it’s a temporary name. Once the Minor Planet Center confirms the orbit and decides who should get credit for its discovery, the comet will receive a new name.

 

 

"SWAN25F" Comet social media post. (Credit: Michael Jäger, Gerald Rhemann)

 

 

On 3 April, Mike Olason from Tucson, Arizona, photographed the comet when it had a magnitude of 10.6.

 

 

Comet "SWAN25F" captured on 3 April 2025. (Credit: Mike Olason via Sky&Telescope)

 

 

“The comet’s orbit is still being updated with new observations, it appears that the comet will brighten to magnitude 4 or 5 by the end of the month and early May,” Mike Olason told Orbital Today. “Although one never knows for sure what will happen with a comet as it nears the Sun, which heats the surface of the comet, resulting in gases and water under the comet’s surface expanding in a bit of an explosion, which then ejects material off the surface of the comet.”

 

Olason explains that the ejected material forms the comet’s coma, which is illuminated by the Sun and determines the comet’s brightness. This material eventually flows into the comet’s tail.

 

By 6 April, the comet’s brightness had increased to magnitude 8.4, revealing a thin, extended tail.

“Based on current predictions, the comet may brighten to magnitude 4 or 5, 20 to 40 times brighter than it currently is at magnitude 8,” – Mike Olason adds.

In Austria, skywatchers Michael Jaeger and Gerald Rhemann documented the comet’s tail stretching over 2 degrees across the sky.
 

 

AstroMamenchi Remote Observatory, 2025-04-07. (Credit: @xwlj_XLR via X)

 

 

How can you see the comet in the sky?

Comet SWAN25F is currently best observed in the northern hemisphere’s pre-dawn sky, moving through constellations such as Pegasus and Andromeda. As of early April, Comet SWAN25F has brightened to approximately magnitude 8.0, making it observable with binoculars under favorable conditions.

 

UAE Marks First Entry in IAU Database with Comet "SWAN25F"

In a groundbreaking achievement for the Arab world, astronomers from the United Arab Emirates have significantly contributed to the confirmation of Comet SWAN25F. On 5 April 2025, the Al-Khatim Astronomical Observatory in Abu Dhabi captured detailed images of the comet, marking the first Arab entry into the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) official observation database.