Viewing Guide: When and Where
Optimal viewing dates: October 20–21, 2025 (closest approach)
Viewing window: October 20–23 for potential naked-eye visibility
Time: 45–90 minutes after sunset
Location in sky: Western horizon
The 3I/ATLAS Connection: Amateur Astronomy’s Rising Impact
The discovery of Comet SWAN follows the influential detection of interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, part of a growing trend of significant astronomical discoveries made by citizen scientists. Both objects were identified through analysis of publicly accessible space telescope data.
This pattern demonstrates the increasing democratization of astronomical discovery. Professional survey programs are designed to detect specific object types (near-Earth asteroids, supernovae, exoplanet transits), while amateur astronomers often identify unusual objects that fall outside automated detection parameters.
WHAT’S NEXT
- October 20–21, 2025: Closest approach to Earth; peak viewing opportunity
- Late October 2025: Comet moves into evening sky with later setting times; remains binocular-visible through month’s end
- November 2025: Expected fade below binocular visibility as comet recedes from both Sun and Earth
- Ongoing: Professional observatories conducting spectroscopic analysis; refined orbital calculations expected within two weeks
