EarthSky friend John Ashley shared his video of Comet R3 PanSTARRS rising before the sun in Arizona on April 12, 2026. John wrote: “Comet PanSTARRS rises beyond the Smithsonian’s Whipple Observatory. The comet is barely visible to the eye but an easy target with binoculars. And it’s getting brighter each morning. In the timelapse video, you can see the observatory spin, and you can also tell when the quarter moon rises as it colors the atmosphere blue.” Thank you, John!
Comet R3 PanSTARRS is brightening!
Comet C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS is now visible in the morning sky just before the sun rises. You’ll want binoculars or a telescope to see it. Current brightness estimates put it at about magnitude 4.6. Use the finder chart below to help locate the comet in the constellation Pegasus. It’s inside the asterism of the Great Square of Pegasus.
Comet R3 PanSTARRS will be closest to the sun on April 19, 2026. Then it will then pass closest to Earth just a week later, on April 26. The comet will get as close as 45.5 million miles (73.2 million km) from Earth. That’s slightly closer than half the Earth-sun distance. When Comet PanSTARRS passes closest to Earth, it will be in the direction of where we see the sun. That’s because the comet will be passing between Earth and the sun at that time.
Observers in the Southern Hemisphere will have to wait until late April to try to spot Comet PanSTARRS low in the western horizon just after sunset. But the situation rapidly improves from there in early May as the comet gets higher just after dusk.
Have you seen Comet R3 PanSTARRS yet? It’s visible in the morning sky just before the sun rises. This chart will show you where to look. Chart via AstroBob. Used with permission.
Images of the comet from our community
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Samit Saha in Mohalla, Jammu and Kashmir, India, captured Comet R3 PanSTARRS on April 12, 2026. Samit wrote: “Moments before this capture, a mild earthquake (magnitude 4.6) originating near Bhaderwah subtly shook the region, adding an unexpected layer of intensity to the experience. Despite the brief disturbance, the sky remained calm and offered a striking contrast to the restless world below.” Thank you, Samit!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Ross Stone in Big Pine, California, captured the comet on April 11, 2026. Ross wrote: “So many satellites wanted to be in the photo with our otherworldly visitor, comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS).” Thank you, Ross!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Bartlomiej Grzywacz in Poland captured Comet R3 on April 9, 2026. Bartlomiej wrote: “The object was very low above the horizon. It was getting bright quickly. It’s not an easy comet to capture from Poland due to the timing and its low altitude.” Thank you, Bartlomiej!
More comet pics
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Petr Horalek in Prosec u Sece, Czech Republic, captured the comet on April 9, 2026. Petr wrote: “In the morning sky, just before the twilight, you can easily find the comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) in the constellation Pegasus. It’s by the asterism of the Great Square. Northerners can succeed with spotting it through a small telescope. The comet’s tail exceeded 14 degrees in the photographs, making it such a nice object along with the Andromeda Galaxy located on the left. The moonlight made the foreground decently illuminated at the same moment when an early-bird driver went in the car down on the road.” Thank you, Petr!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jelieta Walinski also caught the comet. Jelieta wrote: “What happens when a comet barely clears the horizon before dawn? On April 9, under the dark skies of Arizona, I captured Comet C/2025 R3 just moments after rising into view. From the Desert Bloom Observatory, the comet appeared extremely low in the sky, its faint glow filtered through thick layers of Earth’s atmosphere.” Thank you, Jelieta!
Did you catch a pic of the comet? Submit it to us!
Bottom line: Comet R3 PanSTARRS is now visible in the morning sky for those with binoculars or a telescope. Will it get brighter? See pics and a finder chart here.
Kelly Kizer Whitt
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About the Author:
Kelly Kizer Whitt – EarthSky’s nature and travel vlogger on YouTube – writes and edits some of the most fascinating stories at EarthSky.org. She’s been writing about science, with a focus on astronomy, for decades. She began her career at Astronomy Magazine and made regular contributions to other outlets, including AstronomyToday and the Sierra Club. She has nine published books, including a children’s picture book, Solar System Forecast, and a young adult dystopian novel, A Different Sky.
