Last Chance This Weekend To See Pan-STARRS

Topline

A brightening comet is now becoming easier to see — and this weekend offers your best and last chance so far to find it. Comet C/2025 R3 (Pan-STARRS) is climbing slightly higher before sunrise and brightening steadily, just as the moon disappears from the morning sky. If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to start looking, this is it. Remember to check my feed for a daily comet tracker with sky-charts and tips for viewing comet Pan-STARRS.

Comet Pan-STARRS, also known as comet C/2025 R3 (Pan-STARRS), imaged using a Unistellar smart telescope on April 14, 2026, by Aad Verveen.

Aad Verveen (used with permission)Key Facts

Comet C/2025 R3 (Pan-STARRS) is visible from about 90 minutes before sunrise until early next week. It’s a realistic binocular target for anyone with a clear eastern horizon and a bit of patience.

On Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19, the comet lies due east close to bright star Algenib at the lowest corner of the Great Square of Pegasus.

As the comet fades from view in the brightening dawn sky, observers may see Mercury and possibly Mars beneath, very close to the horizon just before sunrise.

According to the Comet OBServation database, the comet is currently shining at around magnitude +5 — right on the cusp of being a naked-eye object in very dark skies. However, it will likely require binoculars for most observers.

The comet will reach perihelion on Sunday, April 19, with its closest approach to Earth on Monday, April 27 (though by then it will be impossible to see from the Northern Hemisphere).

Observers in the Southern Hemisphere will be able to spot the comet from late April, after the comet passes perihelion, just after sunset on the western horizon.

It was discovered by the Pan-STARRS survey in Hawaii in September 2025 and is thought to orbit the sun roughly every 170,000 years.

Comet Tracker For Saturday And Sunday, April 18-19

On Saturday, April 18, the comet is roughly 0.64 AU (96 million kilometers) from Earth and 0.50 AU (75 million kilometers) from the sun, on the eve of its perihelion — the closest it will get to the sun — when solar heating peaks and activity intensifies. On Sunday, April 19, Comet C/2025 R3 (Pan-STARRS) reaches perihelion at about 0.50 AU (75 million kilometers) from the sun while closing to roughly 0.59 AU (88 million kilometers) from Earth — a key moment that may accelerate its brightening.

However, this is also when the comet appears to accelerate across the night sky. After being in more-or-less the same place in the night sky this week, this weekend sees its position noticeably change — and get noticeably lower in the pre-dawn sky.

The position of comet C/2025 R3 (Pan-STARRS) 90 minutes before sunrise on April 18, 2026.

StellariumHow To Find Comet Pan-Starrs

The comet will appear as a faint, diffuse glow, but steadily brightening as it approaches the sun.

The key is to first locate the Great Square of Pegasus rising due east — a large, diamond-shaped pattern of four stars.

Now look for the lowest of the square’s four corner stars, closest to the horizon. That’s Algenib. The comet will be just to the left of this star this weekend.

Look for a small misty patch of light — and hopefully a tail — using a pair of 10×50 binoculars to make it easier.

The position of comet C/2025 R3 (Pan-STARRS) 90 minutes before sunrise on April 18, 2026.

StellariumHow To Photograph A Comet

Capturing a comet is often easier than seeing it. Even if it appears faint to the naked eye, a camera — including a smartphone — can reveal far more detail. Mount your device on a tripod and use night or manual mode to take exposures of around 5-30 seconds. A DSLR or mirrorless camera with a wide-angle lens (around f/2.8) and ISO 800-3200 will typically show the comet as a small, greenish glow with a faint tail. Focus on a bright star first, then reframe, and experiment as the sky brightens. Even a short exposure can turn a barely visible smudge into something unmistakable.

Check my feed for a daily “comet tracker” with sky charts and tips for finding Comet Pan-STARRS.