It is zooming through space for the Sun. It is a newly found comet, Swan25f, that was seen on April 1 by Australian amateur astronomer Michael Mattiazo, using images compiled by Swan, one of the onboard cameras of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) and NASA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (Soho) space mission, to chart hydrogen in the solar wind. Although it is already showing itself off, the new comet will get brighter and brighter as it travels, and if it makes it through its perihelion, i.e. its nearest point to the Sun, it could even be seen with the naked eye in a few weeks. On Easter evening, at the latest, the comet will be much more visible, reaching its smallest visibility with the Earth.
In the first days of April, a new comet was visible in the constellation Pegasus and is now, according to EarthSky, on its way to the star Alpheratz, the brightest of the constellation Andromeda, directly north-west of Pegasus, in time for Easter. The comet was only a short distance from Alpheratz on April 13 2025, and while gradually getting brighter, optical equipment is still required to enjoy it. As Space.com reminds us, it is currently not possible to observe the new comet with the naked eye: it will have to become bright enough to a magnitude of roughly six before it can be seen without binoculars or a telescope.
Let us not forget that comets are solar system bodies composed mostly of dust and ice. The origin of comets—where they are most dense—is referred to as the Oort Cloud, a spherical region on the outermost part of the solar system around the Sun and home to comets. “The newly discovered comet Swan25f is getting brighter as it approaches the Sun,” comments Mike Olason, who made excellent photos from Tucson, Arizona, on April 3 when the comet was magnitude 10.6, Spaceweather.com states. “At early on April 6, the comet was magnitude 8.4 with a 3-foot diameter bright green canopy and a delicate tail extending far beyond my horizon.”
Last year was for the 12P/Pons-Brooks
Last Easter, after a seventy-year wait, we saw the comet designated by the initials 12P/Pons-Brooks, commonly known as the “horned comet” because of its bizarre shape. The uncommon characteristics that made the comet 12P/Pons-Brooks special were several and intriguing. It was first spotted on July 12, 1812, by the keen eyes of astronomer Jean-Louis Pons. It was rediscovered in 1883 by William Robert Brooks, which confirmed its periodicity. But the characteristic which makes this comet stand out is its sudden and unpredictable bursts of brightness, or “outbursts.”. These events, which consist of the explosive expulsion of gas and dust, have temporarily reconfigured the comet, causing it to take on a shape that reminded us of the mythological form of the Millennium Falcon, the Star Wars spaceship. This analogy, while condensed and suggestive, highlights the dynamic and unstable character of this celestial body.
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is physically cryovolcanic in character. This definition is to its internal make-up, that of a core of solid ice, rock, and dust overlaid with a canopy, that of a tenuous atmosphere of gases and crystals that bounce back sunlight. Outbursts are bound to be caused by the buildup of pressure inside the core due to solar heating, causing explosive spews of material out of its surface. This material ejected is the origin of the brightening and of the formation of the wonderful cometary tail, a typical one which amazes the observers.
The Virtual Telescope Project alternative
For those who are unable to travel to a good vantage point or who prefer to observe this kind of event from the comfort of home, there will be a convenient alternative in the Virtual Telescope Project. This project allows a wide public to follow the comet’s paths in real-time using the project’s high-tech telescopes, with expert commentary adding scientific context and facts on the celestial body.
