Bright comet to light up the UAE skies and be visible to the naked eye in mid-October

Abu Dhabi: A rare celestial spectacle is set to grace the UAE’s skies this month. The International Astronomy Center announced that the Al Khatim Observatory captured images at dawn on Friday of a bright comet, C/2025 A6 Lemmon, which has steadily increased in brightness since its discovery on January 3.

Initially visible only through large telescopes, the comet has now brightened to magnitude six, making it observable with binoculars from dark locations. 

Astronomers predict its brightness will soon reach magnitude three, allowing it to be seen with the naked eye from areas away from city lights.

According to the center, the comet will make its closest approach to Earth on October 21, passing at a distance of about 90 million kilometers, before reaching perihelion, its nearest point to the Sun, on November 8. C/2025 A6 Lemmon completes one orbit around the Sun roughly every 1,350 years.

The comet is currently visible in the eastern sky before dawn but will gradually shift toward the Sun, becoming an evening object visible in the western sky after sunset starting October 15. 

Astronomers say the best viewing window will be between October 17 and 27, when its brightness peaks and the sky will be free of moonlight. During this period, the comet’s tail is expected to stretch 15 to 40 degrees, a remarkable sight for skywatchers.

The observatory’s images, captured between 4:10 and 5:00 a.m. UAE time using a 4-inch refracting telescope, a color camera, and a light-pollution filter, show the comet glowing bright green, a result of ionized carbon molecules reacting to ultraviolet sunlight.