After the joy of three seen comets in 2025, one other could placed on a present in late April 2026. Nevertheless, though the comet, generally known as C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS), might grow to be vivid sufficient to be seen with the bare eye, it might simply as simply stay seen solely by way of binoculars and telescopes.
Within the wake of Comets C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) and C/2025 R2 (SWAN) in October, Comet R3 (PanSTARRS) is because of attain perihelion — its closest level to the solar — on April 20, 2026. On that date, this icy customer to the interior photo voltaic system will come inside 47.4 million miles (76.3 million kilometers) of the solar.
Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) distance and brightness
The brightness of comets is notoriously unpredictable. Though Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) might show to be the brightest comet of 2026, it isn’t identified how vivid it’ll get. Some predict it might attain magnitude 8, which is about the identical brightness as Neptune — too faint to be seen with the bare eye however simple to identify in binoculars or a small telescope. Others predict Comet C/2025 R3 might attain a brightness of magnitude 2.5. That is corresponding to the brightest stars within the well-known W-shaped constellation Cassiopeia, which is definitely seen with unaided eyes in a darkish sky.
Comet R3’s prospects of turning into a vivid, easy-to-see nighttime object could also be enhanced by a phenomenon referred to as ahead scattering. As a result of this comet will transfer between Earth and the solar, its tail will mirror and scatter lots of daylight within the course of Earth — and into the eyes of observers — in late April 2026.
When and the place to see Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS)
Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) will probably be at its greatest within the predawn sky in late April, as seen from the Northern Hemisphere, and after sundown in early Could for viewers within the Southern Hemisphere. It can attain perihelion within the constellation Pisces, simply beneath the Nice Sq. of Pegasus.
When Comet R3 (PanSTARRS) brightens within the evening sky, there’ll probably be some interference from moonlight, however darkness will prevail near perihelion. A new moon on April 17, 2026, bodes properly for the comet’s post-sunset perihelion on April 20. However at its closest level to Earth on April 27, it’ll probably be misplaced within the solar’s glare.
Round April 13-15, the comet will probably be inside the Nice Sq. of Pegasus, round 15 levels above the japanese horizon, an hour earlier than dawn, as considered from mid-northern latitudes. There will probably be a near a waning crescent moon for just a few mornings.
Discovery of Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS)
Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) was found on Sept. 8, 2025, by Pan-STARRS, a pair of 1.8-meter (5.9 toes) reflector telescopes atop Haleakalā volcano in Hawaii. Pan-STARRS always takes large pictures of the sky, after which software program compares them with older pictures, flagging something that strikes. Observe-up observations utilizing the three.6-meter (11.8 toes) Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope at Mauna Kea, Hawaii, on Sept. 17 helped astronomers calculate the comet’s path.
A cluster of comets
After just a few barren years within the wake of Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE), six notable comets made their mark in 2024 and 2025. First, there was the “Satan Comet” 12P/Pons-Brooks” (additionally dubbed the “Mom of Dragons” comet) in April 2024. Then got here Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) in October 2024 and the intense C/2024 G3 (ATLAS), the “New Yr comet,” which placed on an important present for viewers within the Southern Hemisphere in January 2025. It was adopted in mid-October by Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon), which reached the cusp of naked-eye visibility and, to a lesser extent, Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN).
That is to not point out 3I/ATLAS, solely the third interstellar object ever to go to the photo voltaic system, after ‘Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. 3I/ATLAS got here closest to the solar on Oct. 29 throughout its journey by way of the photo voltaic system after which quickly brightened, baffling scientists.
Will Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) grow to be a “nice comet” in 2026? Solely time will inform.
