A comet that formed at the far edges of the solar system will grace the southern skies over the next two weeks, giving observers a rare chance to see it before it disappears from view for another 170,000 years.
The comet, known as C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS, had been traveling through the northern hemisphere, but “made a turn around the sun” and is now visible in the south, said Josh Aoraki, an astronomer at Te Whatu Stardome in Auckland, New Zealand.
The comet is fairly bright, but people will need binoculars, a telescope, or a camera to see it, Aoraki said. “It’s not quite bright enough to see with the naked eye, but it’s easy enough to photograph, which is always a treat,” he said.
Visible in the South
The comet will gradually fade over the next two weeks, so those interested in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and the Pacific should try to observe it as soon as possible, Aoraki noted. Anyone who wants to see the comet should find a spot with a clear, unobstructed view of the western horizon right after sunset, when the comet is still low in the sky. It will be most visible in the hour that follows sunset.
A Blue-Green Sphere
Those who manage to spot the comet can expect to see a blue-green orb, a temporary cloud of gas around the nucleus called a coma, along with a fuzzy tail. “The coma and tail look like a small, blurry shooting star in the sky,” Aoraki described.
170,000 Years for a Full Orbit Around the Sun
C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS originates from the Oort Cloud, a vast shell of icy, comet-like objects surrounding the outermost reaches of our solar system. It was discovered in 2025 and is a long-period comet that takes approximately 170,000 years to complete a single orbit around the sun, assuming it doesn’t break apart first.
“It’s really hard to predict their orbits, because as they swing around the Sun they lose mass, and that can change their trajectory,” Aoraki said. “So it could come back in that timeframe, but it could also get flung completely out of the solar system.”
