The "Golden" Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS): View from California, USA

The "Golden" Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS): View from California, USA

Astrophotographer Dan Bartlett: "This is comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) which wasn't suppose to survive Oct 8 perihelion [closest approach to the sun] due to it's low intrinsic brightness. It did survive and even more peculiar is its chemical composition lacking in carbon compounds (CN, CO, CO2 and C2 compounds lend to blue green cometary coloration). This 8 -9th magnitude comet has a higher ratio of OH and H2O compounds leading to a red/brown/golden color rarely seen in comets. A morning comet, still fairly impressive."

C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) is an Oort cloud comet first seen in May 2025. It is one of many comets discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) that was developed by the University of Hawaii and funded by NASA.

Image Credit: Dan Bartlett

Capture Location: June Lake, California, USA

Dan's Website: https://app.astrobin.com/u/h2ologg#gallery
Image Date: Oct. 29, 2025

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