This month, the heavens have offered us a rare and radiant visitor: Comet Lemmon (C/2025 A6), a long-period comet last seen over 1,300 years ago. Discovered in January and initially mistaken for an asteroid, Lemmon has defied expectations, brightening dramatically and now gracing our northern skies with a shimmering tail and glowing coma. If forecasts hold, it may become faintly visible to the naked eye in dark skies and is already a stunning binocular target.
Though the weather here in Georgia hasn’t yet allowed me to capture it myself, I’ve been deeply moved by the images shared by fellow skywatchers around the world. Their photographs, ethereal, patient, and reverent, remind me that even when clouds obscure our view, beauty is still unfolding above us.
Where to Find Comet Lemmon Tonight
As of late September, Comet Lemmon is traveling through the constellation Lynx, high in the northern sky. For observers at mid-northern latitudes, it rises late in the evening and remains visible through the early morning hours. Here’s a simplified star map to help you locate it:
Right Ascension: 09h 03m 14s
Declination: +37° 23′ 12″
Best viewing: After 10 PM, facing northwest
Visibility: Binoculars recommended; magnitude ~7.6
As October unfolds, Lemmon will climb higher and reach its closest approach to Earth around October 20–21, coinciding with the new moon and the Orionid meteor shower—a perfect window for dark-sky viewing.
A Faithful Reflection: What the Comet Teaches Us
Comets are ancient messengers, icy archives of creation, flung from the outer reaches of our solar system. Lemmon’s return after more than a millennium feels like a divine whisper: “There are wonders you haven’t seen yet. Keep looking up.”
In seasons of clouded skies, literal or spiritual—it’s easy to feel disconnected from beauty, from clarity, from God’s presence. But just as Lemmon continues its silent arc above us, so too does grace move unseen. The comet’s sudden brightness reminds me of Isaiah 43:19:
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”
Even when we can’t see it yet, God is at work—revealing, restoring, and surprising us with joy. Comet Lemmon is more than a scientific event; it’s an invitation to wonder, to wait, and to trust that what’s hidden will be revealed in time.
Shared Beauty
While I wait for clear skies, I’m honored to share the work of photographers who’ve captured Lemmon’s glow. Their images will be posted throughout the week on Our Night Sky, each one a testament to patience, awe, and the artistry of creation.
If you’ve seen Lemmon or have a photo to share, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s celebrate this rare visitor together.
Until next time, keep looking up
-g