Email: online@newsofbahrain.com
Wellington: Astronomers have confirmed that Comet C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS is currently visible in the southern night skies, marking its first visit to the inner solar system in over 170 millennia.
The comet, which originated from the distant Oort Cloud, is making a rare close approach to Earth. For observers in New Zealand, the window for viewing is limited to the next seven days.
After this week, the comet’s trajectory will carry it back into the outer reaches of space, and it will not return for approximately 170,000 years.
To view the comet, experts suggest looking toward the western horizon roughly one hour after sunset. While it remains below naked-eye visibility in urban areas, it is easily identifiable through binoculars or long-exposure photography as a distinct teal-coloured glow with a trailing dust tail.
Optimal viewing conditions require clear skies and locations away from significant light pollution, such as coastal lookouts or rural vantage points.