Astronomy Picture of the Day 📸 26 September 2025 📅
"A SWAN, an ATLAS, and Mars"
Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN), a newcomer to the inner Solar System, was captured on September 21 with its long ion tail stretching diagonally across a wide telescopic view 🌠. Nearby, the dimmer comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) appears just above and left of SWAN’s greenish glow, set against the starry backdrop of Virgo ♍. Both comets were discovered in 2025 and share the frame with the reddish planet Mars 🔴, a familiar sight in Earth’s night sky. Though they seem to be racing through space, SWAN has already passed its closest point to the Sun on September 12 and is heading outward, while ATLAS is still inbound, set to reach perihelion on October 8 ☀️.
Casper Astronomy
Astronomy Picture of the Day 📸 26 September 2025 📅
"A SWAN, an ATLAS, and Mars"
Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN), a newcomer to the inner Solar System, was captured on September 21 with its long ion tail stretching diagonally across a wide telescopic view 🌠. Nearby, the dimmer comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) appears just above and left of SWAN’s greenish glow, set against the starry backdrop of Virgo ♍. Both comets were discovered in 2025 and share the frame with the reddish planet Mars 🔴, a familiar sight in Earth’s night sky. Though they seem to be racing through space, SWAN has already passed its closest point to the Sun on September 12 and is heading outward, while ATLAS is still inbound, set to reach perihelion on October 8 ☀️.
Image Credit & Copyright: Adam Block
#space #astrophoto #astrophotography #science #universe #moon
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