Two comets and a meteor shower in three simultaneous astronomical events on the night of October 21

In late October 2025, the skies over the Arab world will witness a rare astronomical event that combines three phenomena in one night: the passage of two bright comets near Earth, coinciding with the peak of the Orionid meteor shower, and a new moon, providing an ideal dark sky for astronomical observation.

The culprits are:

• C/2025 R2 (Swan): It belongs to the long-period comets and completes an orbit around the Sun every about 22,000 years.
• C/2025 A6 (Lemon): Discovered by the Mount Lemon Survey in Arizona for small near-Earth objects.

The night of October 21 is the most special for astronomy enthusiasts.

What's unique about this event is that the two comets will reach their closest point to Earth on the night of October 21, which is also the peak of the Orionid meteor shower, when around 20 meteors per hour typically fall and can be seen with the naked eye. Since the moon will be in its new phase, the sky will be extremely dark, making conditions ideal for viewing both comets and meteors on the same night.

Best observing days: October 20-23, 2025

• Best time: from midnight to dawn
• Direction: Towards the constellation Orion (Gemini) on the eastern horizon
• Recommended equipment: Small telescope or binoculars for comets, naked eye for meteors
• Ideal location: Areas away from city lights for the best view