Researchers suggest they might have already observed the “Great Comet of 2026,” known as C/2025 R3 (Pan-STARRS). It has the potential to radiate with a brilliance akin to Comet Lemmon (depicted above), which went past us in October of the prior year.(Image credit: Dimitrios Katevainis, CC BY-SA 4.0)ShareShare by:
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Although we are not even two weeks into 2026, a fresh comet is already taking the lead as a contender to become the year’s “Great Comet”. The eagerly awaited icy mass, which may be discernible without any aid, will get closest to us in fewer than four months.
The approaching comet, designated C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS), was spotted by scientists on Sept. 8, 2025, within images obtained by the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) — a duo of 5.9-foot (1.8 meters) reflecting telescopes positioned atop Hawaii’s Haleakalā volcano. It is presently situated approximately 216 million miles (348 million kilometers) from our planet, approximately midway between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars, as per TheSkyLive.com.
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C/2025 R3 is currently hurtling towards our star and will achieve perihelion — its nearest proximity to the sun — on April 20. It will approach within 47.4 million miles (76.3 million km) of the sun, positioning it somewhere in the range of Mercury and Venus’ orbits.
Only seven days later, specifically on April 27, the comet will reach its closest distance to Earth, coming within 44 million miles (70.8 million km) of our globe; this is greater than 180 times the distance between us and the moon.
C/2025 R3 (Pan-STARRS) will get to its nearest point to Earth on April 27. Nonetheless, it will likely show up best approximately a week prior, around when it is near perihelion.
As reported recently by Space.com, a related site to Live Science, astronomers remain uncertain about the comet’s peak brightness during its solar passage. Predictions from some researchers suggest it may attain an apparent magnitude of 8, rendering it visible only through a respectable telescope or a set of stargazing binoculars. Conversely, others venture it could reach a magnitude of 2.5, making it distinctly visible without optical instruments. (Apparent magnitude is gauged on a reversed logarithmic scale, where a smaller figure indicates enhanced brightness.)
When to see comet C/2025 R3
The greatest opportunity to observe C/2025 R3 will possibly present itself just before perihelion, specifically around April 17. At this time, a new moon will dim the nocturnal sky, thereby assisting in the spotting of objects bordering on naked-eye visibility. However, by the time it makes its closest approach to Earth, the comet might be veiled by sunlight, which could make spotting it harder. Observers located in the Southern Hemisphere may also have a favorable opportunity to observe the comet in early May.
Whether the comet becomes naked-eye visible hinges potentially on a phenomenon referred to as forward scattering, which is observed when a comet is aligned directly between Earth and the sun, a condition C/2025 R3 is anticipated to fulfill. Should this scenario materialize, the comet’s tail will likely scatter more sunlight, correspondingly boosting its brightness, according to Space.com.
A comet’s radiance is also impacted by its response to heightened solar radiation: As it edges closer to the sun, it absorbs more light, leading to the emission of trapped ice and gases. These emitted materials reflect sunlight toward Earth. However, at this stage, it is premature to definitively foresee how C/2025 R3 will react.
Throughout its perihelion and Earth flyby, C/2025 R3 will be situated within the constellation Pisces, located just below the Great Square of Pegasus, as per Space.com.
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A host of interesting comets went past us in 2025, including the interstellar wanderer 3I/ATLAS. These photographs of the alien comet were captured by different NASA spacecraft as it flew by Mars. The next “Great Comet”?
Numerous spectacular comets have swung by Earth recently, inclusive of the volatile “devil comet” 12P/Pons-Brooks, the “once-in-a-lifetime” Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS which went past in 2024, and also the exceptionally brilliant comets Lemmon and SWAN, which simultaneously lit our skies the year prior.
The year 2025 also witnessed the discovery by astronomers of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, which made the headlines due to exaggerated and groundless assertions that it was an alien vehicle. It achieved its nearest proximity to Earth in December, but is rapidly retreating from our vicinity and will soon vanish without trace.
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—Astronomers detect first ‘radio signal’ from interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS — but it wasn’t aliens
—’Miracle’ photo captures Comet Lemmon and meteor seemingly entwined over Earth
—RIP ‘other ATLAS’: Watch the doomed comet explode into pieces in incredible new images
Currently, there are not many comets of consequence anticipated to sweep past us this year, prompting conjecture that C/2025 R3 will emerge as 2026’s “Great Comet,” an eminent designation generally reserved for the year’s most luminous comet.
However, the likelihood remains that a superior, more radiant comet might soon come to light and perform a likewise memorable pass at a later point in the year.
Harry BakerSocial Links NavigationSenior Staff Writer
Harry is a U.K.-based senior staff writer at Live Science. He studied marine biology at the University of Exeter before training to become a journalist. He covers a wide range of topics including space exploration, planetary science, space weather, climate change, animal behavior and paleontology. His recent work on the solar maximum won “best space submission” at the 2024 Aerospace Media Awards and was shortlisted in the “top scoop” category at the NCTJ Awards for Excellence in 2023. He also writes Live Science’s weekly Earth from space series.
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