Another comet will soon be visible in the spring sky: following the sungrazing comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS), the comet C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS) is expected to reach a brightness in early April that may make it visible even to the naked eye, and by mid-April its tail could be clearly observed even with simple binoculars.
Discovered by the Pan-STARRS sky survey program, comet C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS) will reach its closest point to the Sun—its perihelion—on April 19, according to a statement released Wednesday by the Svábhegy Observatory.
From Hungary, however, it will be best observed in the days leading up to this, between April 10 and 15. During this period, it may reach a brightness of around magnitude 4, making it visible to the naked eye under dark skies. Its tail could extend several degrees, making it a striking sight even with ordinary binoculars.
The comet will be visible throughout on the morning sky. As it approaches the Sun, it will appear lower and lower on the horizon, and by April 19 it will be visible only very low above the horizon in the brightening sky, best observed with binoculars over a completely open eastern horizon free of obstacles.
On April 10 at 4:30 a.m., it will be 13 degrees above the horizon in the constellation Pegasus, to the upper left of the star Markab. Although the last quarter Moon will still brighten the sky, the comet should already be bright enough to be easily seen with binoculars. On April 13 at 4:30 a.m., it will be at a similar height, again to the left of Markab, and may already be visible to the naked eye under clear rural skies, with a tail possibly spanning several degrees when viewed through binoculars.
The final opportunity to observe the comet will be on the day of its perihelion, April 19, at around 4:35 a.m., in the already brightening sky. By then, it will be only about 6 degrees above the horizon. Observation will be more difficult in twilight, even though its brightness increases.
After its close approach to the Sun on April 19, the comet will quickly disappear from the Hungarian sky as it moves southward.
In connection with the two spring comets, the Svábhegy Observatory is launching a nationwide educational campaign for primary school students, aiming to introduce as many young people as possible to these fascinating wanderers of the Solar System. The program centers on a short, easy-to-understand educational video explaining what comets are made of, where they come from, and why they develop their characteristic tails. The initiative also seeks to draw the attention of both students and the general public to such rare celestial phenomena and to bring the world of astronomy closer to younger generations.
More information about the initiative is available on the Svábhegy Observatory’s website.