Bazaar
Rare Comet Visible To Naked Eye In April 2026 | Weather.com
Advertisement
Advertisement

A Rare Comet Is Coming — And You Won't Need A Telescope To See It Light Up The Sky

Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) is approaching Earth and should be visible to the naked eye between April 13 and April 15, appearing low on the eastern horizon just before sunrise. The comet will reach peak brightness around April 17 during a new moon, with its closest approach to Earth on April 27.

Play

Artemis II: From Liftoff To Legacy

If you’re willing to sacrifice a little sleep, the sky has something rare waiting for you this month.

One of the most exciting skywatching events of the year is slowly blazing its path toward Earth, and this incoming comet will be here sooner than you think.

Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) is brightening on its path through the inner solar system. Astronomers are paying very close attention as it gets closer to the sun and Earth, so we are going to make sure you all don’t miss it either. The best part about this comet? You won’t even need a telescope.

(MORE: Everything You Need To Know About The Artemis II Splashdown)

This one should be visible to the naked eye, according to early April observations, but new projections state it should shine even brighter than most, potentially making it visible without any equipment in dark skies.

The best window to skywatch is between Monday, April 13, and Wednesday, April 15. During this window, the comet will be visible low on the eastern horizon just before sunrise near the Great Square of Pegasus. On April 17, a new moon will bring darker-than-usual skies, setting up perfect conditions as the comet approaches peak brightness.

Advertisement

Growing up, we all saw streaks in the sky and wondered what they actually were. Were they jets? Aliens? Something else from space? For some, especially those of us in grade school at the time, pop culture blurred the lines, like when B.o.B’s Airplanes had us looking up and thinking every streak might be a shooting star. But there is actually a real difference in what we see.

(MORE: Artemis II Crew Dedicates Crater To Commander’s Late Wife)

A meteor, or what we recognize as a shooting star, is really just a small piece of space debris burning up as it enters Earth’s atmosphere, creating that quick flash of light that we all have seen before. A comet, on the other hand, is something much bigger, a massive mix of ice and rock traveling through space and, in most cases, orbiting the sun and forming a glowing tail as it heats up. So technically, what is about to appear in the sky is not what Hayley Williams was singing about with B.o.B. This is something much rarer and something you can see for more than a split second.

The comet will be closest to the sun on April 20 and make its closest approach to Earth on April 27, though on this day it will probably be a bit harder to see due to sunlight.

(MORE: Watch ‘Earthset’ Over The Moon From Artemis II)

Still, a sighting of this comet has no guarantees, but for something this rare? Even a slight chance of catching it is worth the effort. So no, it’s not a shooting star, but if you are lucky enough to see it, go ahead and send up a wish. Can’t hurt right?

The comet C/2019 U6 (Lemmon), discovered on October 31, 2019, from the Mount Lemmon Observatory in Arizona, streaks across the night sky behind Pedraforca mountain in the Bergueda region in Spain on October 24, 2025. The comet, composed mainly of ice and dust, was named after the observatory where it was first detected, part of the Catalina Sky Survey program dedicated to tracking near-Earth objects. Pedraforca, located within the Cadi-Moixero Natural Park, is one of Spain's most iconic mountains, recognized for its distinctive double peak and symbolic importance to Catalan mountaineering. (Photo by Lorena Sopena/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The comet C/2019 U6 (Lemmon), discovered on October 31, 2019, from the Mount Lemmon Observatory in Arizona, streaks across the night sky behind Pedraforca mountain in the Bergueda region in Spain on October 24, 2025. The comet, composed mainly of ice and dust, was named after the observatory where it was first detected, part of the Catalina Sky Survey program dedicated to tracking near-Earth objects. Pedraforca, located within the Cadi-Moixero Natural Park, is one of Spain's most iconic mountains, recognized for its distinctive double peak and symbolic importance to Catalan mountaineering.
(Photo by Lorena Sopena/Anadolu via Getty Images)

weather.com content writer Toby Adeyemi bridges the gap between trends and culture, a skill he's honed over years at Yahoo Sports, EBONY, and Essence. Toby's built a career finding where sports, music, and culture intersect, and now he's bringing that same lens to weather, exploring how atmospheric events shape the moments, communities, and conversations that matter most.

Advertisement