Comet Tempel 2 in Scutum

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Arriving and planning to stay all summer, Comet Tempel 2 is visible in the constellation Scutum early this morning.

Comet Tempel 2 is settling in for a long summer stay. This month, it’s in Scutum the Shield, passing near several deep-sky objects. Credit: Alison Klesman (via TheSkyX)

Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column. 

April 10: Ganymede shadow crossing

Even as Comet Wierzchoś is quickly fading, Comet 10P/Tempel, also known as Tempel 2, is making its way into our skies to become a summertime comet. Rising around 1 A.M. local daylight time, it’s a great option for either viewing last after an extended overnight session, or first for early risers, before the oncoming twilight brightens the sky too much. 

Now located in Scutum, Tempel 2 is roughly 12th magnitude and brightening. It still requires a large scope, but it’s got the advantage of being high in the south early this morning: some 35° above the horizon around 5 A.M. local daylight time. You’ll find it just under 2° southwest of 4th-magnitude Alpha (α) Scuti. 

For comparison, shift your gaze east some 5.3° to land on globular cluster NGC 6712. This ball of stars is currently brighter than the comet, around 8th magnitude, but as Tempel 2 brightens, they will appear more like twins. Spanning just over 7’, compare the cluster’s appearance — size, shape, and central brightness — to the comet, both tonight and over time. 

Sunrise: 6:28 A.M.
Sunset: 7:35 P.M.
Moonrise: 3:32 A.M.
Moonset: 1:18 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waning crescent (32%)
*Times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset are given in local time from 40° N 90° W. The Moon’s illumination is given at 10 P.M. local time from the same location.

While Comet Tempel 2 is faint, there’s a breakout star in the early-morning sky that’s cracked naked-eye visibility: Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS). Recently recorded at mid-5th magnitude, although this interplanetary fuzzball is technically within reach of naked eyes, your best bet will be to view it with binoculars or a small scope — or capture it with a several-second exposure using your smartphone.

Look for the brightening Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) in the hour before dawn, now skimming through the Great Square of Pegasus. Credit: Alison Klesman (via TheSkyX)

This one is for early risers, though — currently flying through Pegasus the Winged Horse, the best time to look for PanSTARRS is about an hour before sunrise, when it’s reached nearly 20° high in the east, inside the Great Square of Pegasus.

On April 12, the comet is near magnitude 2.5 Markab, Pegasus’ alpha star. As the Great Square rises, Markab makes up the point farthest right as the southwesternmost point of the Square. This morning, the comet is just 5.3° northeast of this star, rendering both visible in the same binocular field of view and offering a great signpost to find it. 

Astronomers expect — and hope — that this comet might reach up to 4th magnitude this month, but it is also sinking quickly toward the horizon day by day, making it more challenging to catch. About a week from now, the comet will rise just an hour before the Sun, reaching ready visibility only 30 minutes or so before sunrise, as the sky is growing quite bright. Keep following it as long as you can!