The comet C/2025 A6 (Comet Lemmon) could be observed and photographed from Cala d’Hort during its period of greatest visibility, coinciding with its closest approach to Earth on 21 October. During those days, it was visible through low-magnification binoculars, although photography revealed far more detail of its long tail, according to a statement from the Agrupació Astronòmica d’Eivissa (AAE).
The image was captured on 23 October from the Cala d’Hort observatory by AAE astrophotographer Ignacio de la Cueva, using a Nikon 810A camera and a 200 mm f/2 telephoto lens. The photograph is the result of stacking ten one-minute exposures taken at ISO 1600, later processed using standard astrophotography software.
Two tails
Ignacio de la Cueva’s image clearly shows two distinct tails emerging from the comet. The longer one corresponds to gases released from the comet’s nucleus as they are sublimated by the Sun’s heat, while the shorter and brighter one is formed by dust particles also emitted as the comet travels through this part of the Solar System.
Astronomical calculations indicate that C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) has an orbital period — the time it takes to complete one orbit around the Sun — of around 1,350 years. However, due to gravitational braking during its current passage, this period is expected to shorten to about 1,150 years in the future. This means the comet is not a frequent visitor to the inner Solar System, and its return is not expected for more than a thousand years.