Comet C/2025 R3 Panstarrs: View from Spain
Astrophotographer Frank Niebling: "Comet Panstarrs has now a highly detailed tail: It shows now a separated dust and gas tail as indicated by the different colours in the tail. Additionally the gas tail gave a very pleasent view this morning."
Discovered by the Pan-STARRS survey in September 2025, the comet is diving toward its closest approach to the sun (0.50 AU) on April 19, 2026, bringing it well inside the orbit of Venus. If current trends continue, the comet could brighten to magnitude +2, easily seen and photographed in the pre-dawn sky.
The comet's brightness will receive a further boost between April 24-25 when it passes almost directly between Earth and the Sun. The process is called "forward scattering." Sunlight passing through the comet's dusty atmosphere could be amplified 100-fold or more.
We will not be able to see the April 24 surge from Earth. The comet will be too close to the Sun. However, coronagraphs onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) will have a great view of what could briefly become a truly magnificent object.
Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Peninsular Spain is bordered to the north by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; to the east and south by the Mediterranean Sea and Gibraltar and Morocco, through its exclaves in North Africa; and to the west by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean.
Location: PixelSkies, Spain
Frank's website: https://www.sternfreundefranken.de
Date: April 18, 2026
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