Couldn’t Stand The Sun: New Green Comet SWAN25F Disintegrates, Won’t Be Visible Anymore

A recently discovered comet, designated SWAN25F, is captivating astronomers and skywatchers as it brightens in the pre-dawn sky. Initially detected in late March through data from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory’s (SOHO) SWAN instrument, this comet is rapidly gaining attention for its increasing luminosity and striking green coma.

Green Comet Disintegrated After It Passed The Sun

Updated on 23rd April

The green comet that once held the promise of dazzling our night skies has most likely disintegrated after its recent journey around the Sun, according to scientists.

Known for its bright tail, the comet sparked hopes among stargazers that it would become visible without a telescope. But experts now think it didn’t withstand the intense heat of its solar encounter and is rapidly disappearing from sight.

Karl Battams, an astrophysicist at the US Naval Research Laboratory, stated that the comet is now probably “just a dusty rubble pile.” He also suggested that this might have been the comet’s first journey into the inner solar system, and it simply couldn’t withstand the extreme heat and gravitational pull of the Sun.

Newly Discovered Comet SWAN25F

Australian amateur astronomer Michael Mattiazzo first identified Comet SWAN25F by analyzing SWAN imagery, which monitors hydrogen in the solar wind. Early observations suggest that the comet is rich in hydrogen, contributing to its vibrant green appearance.

Astronomers worldwide have been actively capturing images of Comet SWAN25F, however, it’s a temporary name. Once the Minor Planet Center confirms the orbit and decides who should get credit for its discovery, the comet will receive a new name.

On 3 April, Mike Olason from Tucson, Arizona, photographed the comet when it had a magnitude of 10.6.

“The comet’s orbit is still being updated with new observations, it appears that the comet will brighten to magnitude 4 or 5 by the end of the month and early May,” Mike Olason told Orbital Today. “Although one never knows for sure what will happen with a comet as it nears the Sun, which heats the surface of the come,t resulting in gases and water under the comet’s surface expanding in a bit of an explosion, which then ejects material off the surface of the comet.”

Olason explains that the ejected material forms the comet’s coma, which is illuminated by the Sun and determines the comet’s brightness. This material eventually flows into the comet’s tail.

By 6 April, the comet’s brightness had increased to magnitude 8.4, revealing a thin, extended tail.

“Based on current predictions, the comet may brighten to magnitude 4 or 5, 20 to 40 times brighter than it currently is at magnitude 8,” – Mike Olason adds.

In Austria, skywatchers Michael Jaeger and Gerald Rhemann documented the comet’s tail stretching over 2 degrees across the sky.

How can you see the comet in the sky?

Comet SWAN25F is currently best observed in the northern hemisphere’s pre-dawn sky, moving through constellations such as Pegasus and Andromeda. As of early April, Comet SWAN25F has brightened to approximately magnitude 8.0, making it observable with binoculars under favorable conditions.

Skywatchers are advised to monitor updates from astronomical organizations for optimal viewing times and locations. If the comet continues to brighten, it may become visible to the naked eye under dark skies by the end of April.

“From a very dark rural location, one with good eyes can see a comet with the naked eye that is brighter than about magnitude 5 or 6. So, from dark areas, Comet SWAN25F may be visible to the naked eye if the skies are dark”, Mike Olason says. “From light-polluted areas around cities, Comet SWAN25F will require a pair of binoculars to be observed since a comet usually has to get to magnitude 2 or brighter to be seen with the naked eye from such light-polluted areas.”

UAE Marks First Entry in IAU Database with Comet SWAN25F

In a groundbreaking achievement for the Arab world, astronomers from the United Arab Emirates have significantly contributed to the confirmation of Comet SWAN25F. On 5 April 2025, the Al-Khatim Astronomical Observatory in Abu Dhabi captured detailed images of the comet, marking the first Arab entry into the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) official observation database.

The team at Al-Khatim Observatory conducted astrometric observations by capturing a series of eight one-minute exposures, totaling an eight-minute composite image. This approach allowed them to track the comet’s movement accurately. In the resulting images, Comet SWAN25F appears as a bright dot, while background stars are elongated due to the comet’s rapid motion.