COMET Lemmon will blaze across the night sky over Scotland tonight.
And it’ll be your last chance to see it for 1,300 years.
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Comet Lemmon will blaze across Scotland’s skies tonightCredit: Getty
If you’re somewhere very dark, you have a chance of seeing the green dot of light with the naked eyeCredit: Getty
Comet Lemmon (officially C/2025 A6) was only discovered in January after being detected through a telescope at Arizona’s Mount Lemmon.
It is sweeping past our planet for the first time since the early 8th century.
And if the weather stays dry and the skies are clear then it should easily be bright enough to see with binoculars.
And for the best chances, make sure to head out into the countryside, get away from light pollution, and let your eyes adjust to the dark.
If you’re somewhere very dark, you have a chance of seeing the green dot of light with the naked eye.
You’ll want to look up after sunset, at around 7-8pm, to the northwest tonight, right by the Big Dipper in the Ursa Major constellation.
“Locate the handle of the Big Dipper and follow the direction it points to the west,” the Saint Louis Science Centre explained.
“This will direct you to the bright star Arcturus in the constellation Boötes.
“Looking east from Arcturus the next bright stars you see are Epsilon, Sigma and Rho Boötis.
“C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) will be found just below these stars.
“If you are viewing in light pollution, try to find a spot where you can use buildings or trees to block some of the lights closest to you.”
You should be able to see it for the next few weeks, although its magnitude will decline over time.
Lemmon is the second of two comets which have blazed across the skies this week.
Comet SWAN is also a newly discovered comet, officially designated as C/2025 R2.
It was at its closest to Earth last night.
And estimates suggest that it takes as many as 20,000 years for Comet SWAN to orbit the Sun.
It is sweeping past our planet for the first time since the early 8th centuryCredit: AP