September 29, 2025
The light from the farthest visible stars set out on its journey long before your first birthday.
Two Camera Comets in One Sky
Birthday · September 29, 2025
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APOD published September 29, 2025. Credit: Luc Perrot (TWAN). A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
It may look like these comets are racing, but they are not. Comets C/2025 K1 ATLAS (left) and C/2025 R2 SWAN (right) appeared near each other by chance last week in the featured image taken from France's Reunion Island in the southern Indian Ocean. Fainter Comet ATLAS is approaching our Sun and will reach its closest approach in early October when it is also expected to be its brightest -- although still only likely visible with long exposures on a camera. The brighter comet, nicknamed SWAN25B, is now headed away from our Sun, although its closest approach to Earth is expected in mid-October, when optimistic estimates have it becoming bright enough to see with the unaided eye. Each comet has a greenish coma of expelled gas and an ion tail pointing away from the Sun. Growing Gallery: Comet SWAN25B
Image credit: Luc Perrot (TWAN)