Striking new photos of the super-bright Comet Lemon (C/2025 A6) show the partial remains of its giant tail, shortly after its ghostly limbs were briefly torn off by the sun. The shredding of space occurred just days before the comet was scheduled to make its closest approach to Earth on Tuesday (October 21).
According to Spaceweather.com, astrophotographer Petr Horarek took the stunning photo from Lake Ceci in the Czech Republic (also known as the Czech Republic) late Saturday night (October 18). The original wide-field photo (see below) also shows a pale red-pink aurora hanging low in the night sky.
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However, CME did not cut off the comet’s tail. Rather, the damage was likely caused by strong gusts of solar wind that bent and completely disrupted the flow of gas and dust at some points. This type of ripple along the tail is not uncommon among major comets, especially as they approach the Sun. However, complete separation of part of the flowing limb, known as an amputation event, is much rarer.
This isn’t the first time lemon tails have been damaged by sunlight. According to Live Science’s sister site Space.com, the tail was wobbled by strong solar gusts in late September, and a small shearing event occurred on October 4. In both cases, the comet’s tail is thought to have returned to normal within a few hours of destruction.
Comet Lemon was discovered on January 3rd earlier this year by researchers at the Mount Lemmon Sky Center Observatory in Arizona’s Santa Catalina Mountains. This is an aperiodic comet that orbits the sun probably every 1,350 years.
Lemon will make its closest approach to Earth today (Tuesday, October 21), coming within 56 million miles (90 million kilometers) of Earth before reaching its closest point to the sun, or perihelion, on November 8.
The comet has gotten even brighter in recent weeks as its approach to the Sun has expanded the cloud of gas, ice, and dust surrounding it (known as the coma). Its current apparent magnitude is 4, making it clearly visible to the naked eye.
People in the Northern Hemisphere can see the comet in the northwest sky just after sunset, directly below the Big Dipper. It’s visible to the naked eye, but the best views are obtained with a proper backyard telescope or stargazing binoculars. Check out our Comet Photography Guide to take the best photos of lemons.
Another bright comet, named SWAN, also made its closest approach to Earth on Monday (October 20) and is currently observable in the night sky not far from Lemmon. However, SWAN cannot be seen with the naked eye and can only be seen using stargazers.
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