SUNSET: 
0
Photographer:
Mike Olason
Location of Photo:
Tucson, Arizona
Date/Time of photo:
2025 April 6, 1141UT
Equipment:
50mm f/5 Refractor and IMX462 camera
Description:
Newly discovered Comet SWAN25F is brightening nicely as it approaches the Sun. On the morning of 2025 April 6 the comet was magnitude 8.4 with a bright green 3' wide coma and a thin tail that extended well beyond the field of view of these images at a position angle of 301 degrees from the coma. The tail has been reported to be several degrees long. The green coma is the result of diatomic carbon being ejected from the comets surface, sunlight destroys the diatomic carbon in the comets coma which is the reason one never sees a comet with a green tail. Evidently there is not a lot of dust particles being ejected from the comets surface since the dust tail is not very bright or wide. The comet will remain low above the morning northeast horizon for the next few weeks as it brightens.
