MSGID: 1:153/757.0 95ddc01b   
   TZUTC: -0700   
   CHRS: LATIN-1 2   
                           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 26   
      
                            A SWAN, an ATLAS, and Mars   
                       Image Credit & Copyright: Adam Block   
      
      Explanation: A new visitor to the inner Solar System, comet C/2025 R2   
      (SWAN) sports a long ion tail extending diagonally across this almost 7   
      degree wide telescopic field of view recorded on September 21. A   
      fainter fellow comet also making its inner Solar System debut, C/2025   
      K1 (ATLAS), can be spotted above and left of SWAN's greenish coma, just   
      visible against the background sea of stars in the constellation Virgo.   
      Both new comets were only discovered in 2025 and are joined in this   
      celestial frame by ruddy planet Mars (bottom), a more familiar wanderer   
      in planet Earth's night skies. The comets may appear to be in a race,   
      nearly neck and neck in their voyage through the inner Solar System and   
      around the Sun. But this comet SWAN has already reached its perihelion   
      or closest approach to the Sun on September 12 and is now outbound   
      along its orbit. This comet ATLAS is still inbound though, and will   
      make its perihelion passage on October 8.   
      
                         Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend   
        __________________________________________________________________   
      
          Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)   
               NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.   
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                         A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,   
                              NASA Science Activation   
                                & Michigan Tech. U.   
      
   --- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-7   
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