Scientists discovered a new comet at the beginning of the year at an observatory in Arizona.
It received the name C2025 A6.
Later it received the name Lemmon after the observatory that found it.
Further checks showed it already appeared in older astronomical photos but was not identified as an unknown object.
These early observations helped calculate the comet path and revealed it is a rare visitor to our area. It circles the sun in a path that takes about 1350 years and only a small part of this time it is close enough to be seen from Earth.
On October 21 it reached its closest point to us and in the coming days at the end of October and early November it will reach its brightest stage.
It might even be visible to the naked eye in very dark places without any equipment.
A comet is a small object that circles the sun similar to asteroids.
The difference is that comets are made mostly of ice that traps gases dust and larger rock fragments. Many comets travel in a very stretched path that keeps them far from the sun most of the time.
When they approach the sun the ice heats and turns directly into gas and releases the trapped materials.
When this happens a glowing tail can form and reach millions of kilometers.
This tail is what makes comets visible even without a telescope.
Some comets have more than one tail.
This can happen if the comet is close enough to the sun.
Heavy particles like dust move in the direction of its travel and ions move in a different direction because of the solar wind.
The color of the tails depends on the materials released from the comet.
Comets with a short cycle that circle the sun in less than two hundred years are called short period comets.
A famous one is Halley which returns every seventy six years.
Comets like Lemmon with cycles longer than a thousand years are called long period comets.
Meteor showers happen when Earth crosses the tail of a comet.
Dust particles burn in the atmosphere and create light streaks known as falling stars.
The Orionid shower happens now when Earth crosses the tail left by Halley.
Since the discovery at the beginning of the year hundreds of observations have been made.
The comet was found in older photos from September 2024 when it was almost seven hundred million kilometers from the sun.
Because observations show mostly the cloud of gas and dust around the comet it is hard to know its true size.
Calculating long term paths of comets is difficult.
Even Halley which has a shorter cycle is affected by the gravity of planets and its path can change by several years.
The longer the cycle the harder it is to calculate the exact path.
Also the release of gas when the comet heats can change its speed.
The path of Lemmon is very stretched.
On November 8 it will reach its closest point to the sun at a distance of less than eighty million kilometers.
The farthest point of its path is about two hundred forty three astronomical units or thirty seven billion kilometers from the sun.
Scientists estimate the close pass by the sun will speed up the comet and shorten its cycle to about 1150 years.
That means it will return in the year 3175.
The current pass is most likely the only chance for people living today to see it.
Astronomers use a scale called apparent magnitude to classify brightness.
The lower the number the brighter the object.
When Lemmon was discovered its brightness was about twenty one.
As it approached Earth it became clearer.
In September it was under eight and in October it reached under five.
Some predictions say it may reach four point five when closest to the sun.
More conservative predictions put it around six.
People with normal vision can see objects up to magnitude six under perfect dark conditions.
But light pollution weather and the moon can make it difficult.
So even if the comet reaches four point five it will only be visible with very dark skies.
There is a good chance to see it with binoculars.
The comet will be visible from the northern hemisphere.
The best time to observe it is shortly after sunset.
It should appear in the west northwest direction.
The tail might reach two to three degrees and appear as a thin bright line in the sky.
Because the brightness is borderline it is recommended to use binoculars and go to a dark location.
Meteor activity from the Orionid shower might also be seen but from a different direction.
If you miss the comet do not worry.
Humanity knows about almost five thousand comets and every few years another one passes close enough to observe.