Two Comets Approaching Earth: Live Viewing Opportunity on YouTube

ROME, Italy — Stargazers have an exciting opportunity as two comets, C/2025 A6 Lemmon and C/2025 R2 SWAN, approach Earth this week. Astronomer Gianluca Masi and the Virtual Telescope Project are hosting a special livestream on October 20 at 1:30 p.m. EDT (1730 GMT) to allow viewers to watch these celestial events from home.

“So far, living in the Northern Hemisphere, I could admire C/2025 A6 Lemmon only, but C/2025 R2 SWAN is quickly joining the show, and we are ready to amaze every astronomy lover with our live feed!” Masi told Space.com in an email.

The comets will be at their closest points to Earth, with Comet Lemmon passing about 56 million miles (90 million kilometers) away and Comet SWAN even closer at roughly 24 million miles (39 million kilometers). Both are expected to peak in brightness between October 20 and 21.

Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon, discovered in January 2025, is best viewed in the western evening sky after sunset. It’s expected to shine at magnitude 4.5, making it visible to the naked eye in very dark locations. Meanwhile, the Comet SWAN, which was discovered in September 2025 by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory’s SWAN instrument, will be easier to spot before dawn as it appears low in the eastern sky.

This rare occurrence of two comets visible at once is a treat for astronomy enthusiasts. Masi advises that those wishing to catch a glimpse should use binoculars or small telescopes, especially for viewing Comet SWAN, which is dimmer and has a brightness of magnitude 5.9.

For those who prefer watching from home, the livestream can be accessed through Space.com or YouTube, weather permitting. This event marks a unique opportunity to observe these comets as they soar through our solar system; Comet Lemmon will not return until the year 3175.