Celestial surprise: Comet Lemmon will soon shine over Austria!

Celestial surprise: Comet Lemmon will soon shine over Austria!

Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon will be visible in Austria on October 10, 2025. Between mid-October and early November, this celestial body delights amateur astronomers and those interested in the night sky. However, the comet's visibility depends heavily on weather conditions and clear skies. C/2025 A6 was discovered at the beginning of January 2025 at the Mount Lemmon Survey Observatory in Arizona, USA.

The comet's current brightness value is about 5.5 magnitude, making it comparable to Uranus, which is visible under dark skies. In the coming weeks, the brightness is expected to increase between magnitudes 3 and 4, which is comparable to the brightness of the Andromeda Galaxy. The comet will reach its closest point to Earth on October 21, 2025, during which time the comet will be approximately 90 million kilometers from Earth.

Optimal observation times

The optimal period for observing C/2025 A6 is from October 12th to November 2nd, 2025. Particularly good visibility is expected between October 21st and 23rd, 2025. At this point, the comet will be visible below the stars Rho and Epsilon in the constellation Bootes. There is an excellent opportunity for astrophotographers during this period.

In addition to visual observation, it should be noted that the new moon on October 21st and the full moon on November 5th may affect visibility conditions. Visibility in the Northern Hemisphere will be at its best, especially in late October to early November, while in the Southern Hemisphere the comet will not be visible until mid-November.

Comet activity and orbit

C/2025 A6 Lemmon is a dynamically old, long-period comet with an orbital period of about 1,154 years. Actually, after its discovery, the comet was initially classified as faint (magnitude 21). However, after conjunction with the Sun, the comet showed signs of increased activity and brightness in August 2025. Forecasts indicate a maximum brightness of between 3 and 4 magnitudes, some estimates even speak of 2 magnitudes.

The comet will pass through various constellations during its orbit, including Lynx, Lesser Lion, Great Bear, Hounds, Bear Keepers, Serpent, Hercules and Ophiuchus. Astrophotographers and sky watchers can look forward to interesting sightings, although comets are notoriously unpredictable and forecasts should always be viewed with caution.

In addition to C/2025 A6, other comets such as C/2025 R2 SWAN and C/2025 K1 ATLAS will also be visible in the coming weeks. While C/2025 R2 can be observed below the constellation Cygnus from mid-October, C/2025 K1 is currently mainly visible in the southern hemisphere and could possibly also be seen from the Austrian night sky, but only with a telescope.

Overall, the coming weeks offer exciting opportunities for sky observation. The fascination with comets and their encounters with Earth remains undiminished, and C/2025 A6 Lemmon will certainly be a part of this cosmic spectacle.

For more on comets and astronomical events, take a look at oe24, Starwalk and Kometarium.