Award-winning astrophotographer Josh Dury has captured a stunning view of Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) shining in the sky over Somerset in the U.K. ahead of its close approach to Earth on Oct. 21.
Dury revealed Comet Lemmon‘s bright green coma and long diffuse tail streaking through the eventing sky in exquisite detail as day gave way to night above the Mendip Hills area Oct. 12.
Comet Lemmon’s tail was formed when heat radiating from the sun caused icy materials embedded in its ancient body to transform directly into gas, a process known as sublimation. This diffuse cloud of debris was then blown away by the steady stream of charged particles emanating from our sun known as the solar wind — hence why a comet’s tail is always seen pointing away from the sun.
Dury worked through haze and high wind to capture a breathtaking shot of the distant night sky visitor using his Sony A7S III camera in concert with a Sigma 135mm F/1.4 Art lens, as a diffuse pink aurora glowed close to the horizon. “I would say in this instance, the weather was more the challenge,” Dury told Space.com. “With anti-cyclonic gloom affecting the weather for the best part of a week or more, there wasn’t much opportunity to photograph the comet from here in the West Country. Taken from higher ground, I was surrounded by haze, mist and fog.”
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Comet Lemmon has a current magnitude of around +4.9, which should make it visible to the naked eye from dark sky locations. The comet is expected to continue to brighten ahead of its close approach to Earth, after which it will gradually fade from our skies for over a thousand years. During that time, it will undertake an elliptical tour of the distant solar system that will take it well beyond the orbit of the gas giant Neptune.
Stargazers hoping to capture an image of Comet Lemmon before it disappears from Earth’s sky should consider picking up a copy of Dury’s book 52 Assignments: Night Photography, which gives tips on how to image comets and countless other deep sky targets. Be sure to also check out our finders guide detailing where and when to look for Comet Lemmon throughout October.
Editor’s note: If you would like to share your astrophotography with Space.com’s readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to [email protected].
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