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                           Astronomy Picture of the Day   
      
       Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our   
         fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation   
                       written by a professional astronomer.   
      
                                 2025 September 18   
      
                              Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN)   
                    Image Credit & Copyright: Team Ciel Austral   
      
      Explanation: A new visitor from the outer Solar System, comet C/2025 R2   
      (SWAN) also known as SWAN25B was only discovered late last week, on   
      September 11. That's just day before the comet reached perihelion, its   
      closest approach to the Sun. First spotted by Vladimir Bezugly in   
      images from the SWAN instrument on the sun-staring SOHO spacecraft, the   
      comet was surprisingly bright but understandably difficult to see   
      against the Sun's glare. Still close to the Sun on the sky, the   
      greenish coma and tail of C/2025 R2 (SWAN) are captured in this   
      telescopic snapshot from September 17. Spica, alpha star of the   
      constellation Virgo, shines just beyond the upper left edge of the   
      frame while the comet is about 6.5 light-minutes from planet Earth.   
      Near the western horizon after sunset and slightly easier to see in   
      binoculars from the southern hemisphere, this comet SWAN will pass near   
      Zubenelgenubi, alpha star of Libra, on October 2. C/2025 R2 (SWAN) is   
      scheduled to make its closest approach to our fair planet around   
      October 20.   
      
                       Tomorrow's picture: it's complicated   
        __________________________________________________________________   
      
          Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)   
               NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.   
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