Comet SWAN25F: Newly Discovered Comet Approaching Sun, Visible with Binoculars

A new comet, designated SWAN25F, was discovered on April 1, 2025, by amateur astronomer Michael Mattiazzo using data from the SWAN instrument aboard the SOHO solar observatory. According to spaceweather.com, Mattiazzo spotted the comet in photos captured by the SWAN camera on the European Space Agency's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft. Multiple astronomers have since confirmed SWAN25F's existence. The comet is currently moving towards the Sun and is visible in the pre-dawn hours in the east-northeast sky. Observers will need binoculars or a small telescope to view it, as its current magnitude is around 8. It is expected to reach perihelion, its closest point to the sun, on May 1, 2025. At that time, it will be approximately 31 million miles from the sun, inside Mercury's orbit. Until mid-April, SWAN25F can be found in the constellation Pegasus. Around April 13, it will pass close to the star Alpheratz. By the end of April, the comet will shift towards Andromeda. After May 1, it may be observable in the evening sky in the west for viewers in the Southern Hemisphere, provided it survives its close approach to the Sun. The comet's green glow is due to diatomic carbon molecules fluorescing in sunlight. The comet's brightness at perihelion is estimated to be magnitude 4.5-5, potentially making it visible to the naked eye under dark sky conditions. However, as noted by astronomers, comets are often unpredictable, and activity surges or disintegration could alter their brightness.