Overview
- Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) makes its nearest pass around October 19–20 at roughly 0.261 AU (about 38–39 million km), with best views after sunset and brightness forecasts ranging from binocular-only to marginal naked-eye visibility.
- Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) reaches closest approach on October 21 at about 0.596 AU (~89–90 million km), is trending brighter with potential naked-eye visibility in dark skies, and heads for perihelion on November 8.
- Observing windows favor early evening: roughly 45–90 minutes after sunset in many locations, including about 6:33–11:04 p.m. in Mexico City for SWAN and roughly 7:00–9:30 p.m. local in parts of the United States, with Chile advised to look west-southwest at dusk.
- Dark, clear sites significantly improve chances; the new moon around October 21 and the Orionid meteor shower enhance conditions, and astronomy apps such as Stellarium, Sky Guide, Star Walk, or TheSkyLive can aid locating the comets.
- No single official TV broadcast is confirmed, with likely online coverage from NASA Live, the Virtual Telescope Project, TheSkyLive, and various observatory or community streams.