WANA (Oct 15) – In late October and into early November, Iran’s night sky will host one of the brightest and most spectacular comets of 2025. The newly discovered comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon), less than a year old to science, is expected to become visible to the naked eye as it approaches Earth and the Sun.

 

Kazem Kokaram, spokesperson for the Amateur Committee of the Iranian Astronomical Society, announced that “two comets are currently visible in the night sky — Comet SWAN and Comet Lemmon. Of the two, Lemmon is drawing more attention as its brightness has increased noticeably in recent nights, and it may soon be visible without a telescope under dark skies.”

 

According to Kokaram, the comet’s full designation — C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) — indicates it was the sixth comet discovered in the first half of January 2025. It was first detected on January 3, 2025. Astronomers have calculated that Comet Lemmon completes an orbit around the Sun roughly every 1,150 to 1,350 years, meaning its last approach to the inner Solar System occurred about 13 centuries ago.

Lemon, The Brightest Comet of the Year. Social media / WANA News Agency

Lemon, The Brightest Comet of the Year. Social media / WANA News Agency

How to See Comet Lemmon

Kokaram explained that “Lemmon is currently visible through small telescopes or powerful binoculars and will move into the region of the constellations Canes Venatici and Ursa Major by the end of the week. It can be observed both in the evening and before dawn — roughly one to one and a half hours after sunset and again before sunrise.”

 

He added that observing conditions will improve toward late October and early November: “On October 21, 2025, the comet will make its closest approach to Earth, and on November 7, 2025 it will reach perihelion, its nearest point to the Sun. This interval — late October through early November — is the best opportunity to observe it from Iran.”

 

Comet Lemmon was discovered during the Mount Lemmon Survey in Arizona, part of the Near-Earth Object (NEO) mapping project. The comet takes its name from the observatory where it was first detected.

 

Icy Visitors from the Edge of the Solar System

Explaining the nature of comets, Kokaram said: “Comets are icy and rocky bodies, typically between one and ten kilometers across, orbiting the Sun in elongated paths. As they approach the Sun, heat causes the surface ice — mostly water ice and frozen carbon dioxide — to sublimate, creating the glowing tails that make them so spectacular.”

 

He added that, unlike meteors which flash briefly, comets move slowly across the star field, allowing skywatchers to track them night after night.

 

Kokaram concluded: “After famous comets such as Halley, Hale–Bopp, Hyakutake, and NEOWISE, it’s now Lemmon’s turn to brighten our skies. Predicting comet brightness is always uncertain, but one thing is sure — this late October–early November window will offer one of the most exciting opportunities for comet watching in recent years.”