On the morning of 2025 April 17 UT the only tail visible of Comet C/2025 F2 (SWAN) in images taken with the small 50mm f/5 refractor was a short fan tail above the comet's coma in these images. The comet was magnitude 9.6 as calculated from 5x20 second images thru a green filter in an aperture diameter of 3.5'. If the comet has now settled into its normal magnitude curve (the comet has been around magnitude 9-9.5 for the past 9 mornings) after some major eruptions when first discovered, what does that say about its peak brightness at perihelion which is only 2 weeks from now assuming there are no more major eruptions? |
Page last updated: Sat 19 Apr 10:35:21 BST 2025