Have you seen comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) yet?
This icy visitor from the Oort Cloud is currently visible, but best seen from the Southern Hemisphere, or at the very least, southerly latitudes within the Northern Hemisphere.
It was discovered in May 2025 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System and is expected to reach perihelion, its closest point to the Sun in its orbit, on 8 October 2025.
C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) may then disintegrate, but if it survives its close passage near the Sun, it could emerge and become a bright object visible through binoculars in autumn and winter 2025.
Prolific comet-chaser and photographer José J. Chambó (www.cometografia.es) has been out photographing the comet ahead of perihelion, revealing its glowing nucleus and bright tail.
"After its first approach to Earth, I imaged comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) on 21 August 21 2025, when it was near the star 9 Herculis," José says.
"In this image it shines at about magnitude +12.5, showing a greenish coma just over 2 arcminutes wide with moderate central condensation. The tail extends roughly 20 arcminutes.
"On its way to perihelion, which it will reach on 8 October 2025 at only 0.33 AU from the Sun – inside Mercury’s orbit – the comet faces a high risk of disintegration.
"If it survives, it could become observable again on its return toward Earth, in the morning sky of the Northern Hemisphere, reaching a brightness near magnitude +8 and perhaps visible with binoculars."
For help and advice, read our guide on how to photograph a comet.
Share your comet images with us by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
