C/2025 F2 (SWAN) - DISINTEGRATED
ephemeris	date	magn	radius	delta	ra	dec	elong	phase	PA
Disintegration	16 Apr 2025	7.3	0.542 AU	1.196 AU	00h30m	+32°02'	26.8°	56.4°	322°
Perihelion	1 May 2025	8.4	0.334 AU	0.963 AU	03h33m	+28°16'	19.3°	87.9°	50°
Nearest approach	1 May 2025	8.4	0.334 AU	0.962 AU	03h38m	+27°37'	19.3°	88.0°	53°
Today	9 Jul 2026	-	5.998 AU	5.631 AU	01h31m	-57°16'	106.3°	9.4°	254°

The interactive orbit chart above shows the comet's path through the solar system and its position at the given date. Green and blue lines are shown perpendicular to the ecliptic plane: Green if the path is above the ecliptic plane, blue if it is below. (Left-click and drag to rotate the view; Right-click and drag to move the view; Use scroll wheel to zoom in our out.)

Light curve

The light curve chart below shows the estimated development of the comet's magnitude. Blue and black dots are visual and photometric CCD observations from COBS. This lightcurve is being recalculated every 6 hours based on the available COBS/MPC observations (currently 9.6 + 5 log[∆] + 10.0 log[r]). An additional green curve is displayed when an increase in apparent brightness is expected due to forward scattering of sunlight, which occurs when a dust-rich comet is located between the Earth and the Sun. (See Marcus 2007)

Charts

The all-sky chart below shows the path of the comet over the same period as the light curve. The comet's current position is marked yellow.

The following chart shows the short-term path of the comet in a field of view that is optimized for (~10x50) binoculars and finderscopes.

Orbital elements

The orbital elements of C/2025 F2 (SWAN) are:

    e (Eccentricity)                : 1.0001510
    q (Perihelion distance)         : 0.3338690
    i (Inclination)                 : 90.37640
    Ω (Longitude of ascending node) : 329.81960
    ω (Argument of perihelion)      : 153.85300
    L (Longitude of perihelion)     : 330.00438
    B (Latitude of perihelion)      : 26.14639
    T (Time of perihelion passage)  : 2460796.64320

    Epoch                           : 2026 Jul 08
    Reference                       : MPC194195

    Classification(s):              : Nearly isotropic; New (a > 10000 AU)

Ephemerides

Date       Time       RA (2000)    DEC (2000)    delta   radius  elong  phase   PA    magn
2026-07-08 00:00 UT   01 31 52.5   -57 02 00     5.628    5.982  105.5    9.4   252   21.1 
2026-07-09 00:00 UT   01 31 47.7   -57 10 39     5.630    5.991  106.0    9.4   253   21.1 
2026-07-09 15:35 UT   01 31 44.0   -57 16 18     5.631    5.998  106.3    9.4   254   21.1 
2026-07-10 00:00 UT   01 31 41.7   -57 19 21     5.632    6.001  106.5    9.3   254   21.1 
2026-07-11 00:00 UT   01 31 34.5   -57 28 06     5.634    6.011  107.0    9.3   255   21.1 
2026-07-12 00:00 UT   01 31 26.0   -57 36 52     5.636    6.020  107.5    9.3   256   21.2 
2026-07-13 00:00 UT   01 31 16.2   -57 45 40     5.639    6.030  107.9    9.2   257   21.2 
2026-07-14 00:00 UT   01 31 05.1   -57 54 31     5.641    6.040  108.4    9.2   258   21.2 
2026-07-15 00:00 UT   01 30 52.8   -58 03 22     5.643    6.049  108.9    9.2   259   21.2 
2026-07-16 00:00 UT   01 30 39.1   -58 12 15     5.646    6.059  109.3    9.1   260   21.2 
2026-07-17 00:00 UT   01 30 24.0   -58 21 09     5.649    6.068  109.8    9.1   261   21.2 
2026-07-18 00:00 UT   01 30 07.6   -58 30 04     5.652    6.078  110.2    9.0   262   21.2 
2026-07-19 00:00 UT   01 29 49.9   -58 38 60     5.655    6.088  110.6    9.0   263   21.2 

    Terminology:
            
    delta:  distance between comet and earth in AU
    radius: distance between comet and sun in AU
    magn:   magnitude (brightness) estimate    
    ra:     right ascension in hours (24h = 360deg)
    dec:    declination in degrees
    elong:  elongation in degrees (angle sun-earth-comet)    
    phase:  phase angle in degrees (angle sun-comet-earth)        
    AU:     Astronomical Unit (mean distance between earth and sun: 149597870.7 km      
    

Orbital elements usually provided by the MPC (Minor Planet Center).
Observations contributed by observers worldwide, via COBS (Comet Observation Database) or the MPC (Minor Planet Center)
Calculations by a modified version of AAPlus, a C# implementation of the AA+ project by PJ Naughter from the algorithms presented in the book "Astronomical Algorithms" by Jean Meeus.
NGC2000 dso catalog and star labels from VizieR as provided by the Strasbourg astronomical Data Center.
Tycho2 catalog from the ESO archive.