Comet Lemmon Photographed on Oregon Coast: Look West Here and in Washington

Published 10/16/25 at 5:25 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Cannon Beach, Oregon) – Comet Lemmon (C/2025 A6) has almost literally made a splash on the Oregon coast. The famed gaseous object many millions of miles out is now viewable with the naked eye (just barely). (Photo Steven Smith / Solution 7 Media)

Steven Smith of Solution 7 Media caught the money shot: the gaseous green wonder looming over Cannon Beach's Haystack Rock. Falling in line with instructions from astronomers, Smith snagged the pic about 9 p.m.

It was – indeed – something you could see without the aid of a device. And it's only going to get brighter.

“The comet was naked eye visible right at dark,” Smith told Oregon Coast Beach Connection. “It appears like a bright green star and at times I could make out the tail faintly. It should brighten significantly on or around the 21st being the best of it.”

Heading to the beaches is likely a much better choice than Portland. There's a lot of city glow to the west from Beaverton and it drowns out the stars to the west. To the east in town has been spectacular recently, but the comet appears in the west.

Jim Todd, astronomer with OMSI in Portland, told Oregon Coast Beach Connection how to look for the comet.

“On October 21st, Comet Lemmon (C/2025 A6) will be at its closest approach to Earth, making it a potential naked-eye object,” he said. “While the comet is expected to be visible in the northern hemisphere, the best viewing time is after sunset, low in the northwestern sky. Binoculars or a camera with a night-sky setting will likely provide the best view, and a scenic foreground can help frame the comet.”

How to spot the comet / OMSI

While Todd and others suggest looking around October 21, there have been plenty of sightings and snaps already.

According to Todd: How to view Comet Lemmon

- Where: Low in the northwestern sky.
- How: Start looking about 90 minutes after sunset.
- With the naked eye: With dark sky conditions, it may be visible at 3rd or 4th magnitude.
- With binoculars or a camera: Use binoculars or a camera with a night-sky setting to see its greenish coma and blue tail more clearly.
- For a great photo: Look for a scenic foreground element to include in your shot.

Important viewing notes
- Sky conditions: The New Moon on October 21st will provide dark skies but always check the local weather for clear conditions.
- Eye adjustment: Give your eyes about 30 minutes to adjust to the dark before looking for the comet.
- Comet unpredictability: Comets are notoriously unpredictable. While predictions suggest it could be visible to the naked eye, its brightness is not guaranteed.

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What should you expect visually?

Photo Dimitrios Katevainis. C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) on 2 October 2025. The comet gets brighter and the tails grow more impressive as it moves closer to the Sun. “Chased the comet with a wider set up but the ion tail is already too long for it.” 4x60s + 63x50s exposures (total exposure time 56m 30s) from Bortle 4 skies of eastern Crete. Edited with DSS, SIRIL, GIMP and Ps.

“The comet will appear as a faint, hazy 'cloud' or a more condensed, brighter spot near the center,” Todd said. “It will have a greenish coma and a faint blue tail. “

Comet Lemmon joins Comets SWAN25B and ATLAS as one of three currently visible with binoculars. It remains inbound toward the inner solar system and will round the sun on November 8. Three New Comets May Be Visible Above Oregon, Washington and Coastlines

Credit: Giuseppe Donatiello / Italy. “On the left, a stack image centered on the comet's nucleus. On the right, a special RGB color decomposition allows us to separate the gas (blue and green) and dust (red) tails. As can be seen, this comet is predominantly gaseous.” C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) on October 9, 2025. 300mm f/4.5 + Canon EOS 4000D (30sx50 + 30sx50) @400/3200 ISO

Recent imagery from Texas, captured between September 25 and October 4, shows notable changes in the comet’s ion tail. Variations are attributed to solar wind conditions, the comet’s rotation, and shifting perspectives from Earth.

Stats
Todd said as of October 21, Comet Lemmon (C/2025 A6) will be 0.60 AU from Earth, or approximately 55,773,484 miles. The comet’s nucleus is estimated to be 2.2 kilometers across. This measurement followed its initial classification as an asteroid, later revised when a coma and tail were observed.
- Initial discovery: On January 3, 2025, the object appeared asteroid-like.
Confirmation: By early February 2025, the detection of a coma and tail confirmed its identity as a comet.
- Nucleus size: Observations led to an estimated nucleus diameter of 2.2 kilometers.

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