Upcoming Comets Visible in 2025–2026
If you’ve been waiting to catch a comet, you’re in the right place. Below is the list of comets expected to be visible from Earth in 2025–2026, with forecasts on when they’ll show up and where to look from. Want a hand locating them from your exact spot? Use the free Sky Tonight app to easily find any comet in your sky. Now, let’s take a look at the cosmic visitors heading our way!
Contents
- Next comet visible from Earth
- Comet in late October – early November 2025: C/2025 A6 (Lemmon)
- Comet in late November 2025: 210P/Christensen
- Comet in late November – December 2025: 3I/ATLAS or C/2025 N1 (ATLAS)
- Comet in November 2025 – February 2026: C/2024 E1 (Wierzchos)
- Comet in mid-January 2026: 24P/Schaumasse
- Comet in late April – early May 2026: C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS
- Comet in early July – late August 2026: 10P/Tempel 2
- How to find a comet using Sky Tonight?
- Next comet visible from Earth: Bottom line
Next comet visible from Earth
You can spot a bright comet right now! Comet Lemmon is visible from both hemispheres through binoculars, and under a dark, clear sky, you might even see it with the naked eye in early November. Don’t expect a blazing “Halley’s Comet”, though — to the unaided eye, Comet Lemmon will appear as a small, slightly fuzzy star. Look through binoculars, and you’ll see its soft glow and faint tail stretching away from the Sun.
These comets are listed by when they’re actually visible from Earth, not by their perihelion or closest‐approach dates (some aren’t observable at those moments), so refer to each comet’s visibility window highlighted in the title.
Comet in late October – early November 2025: C/2025 A6 (Lemmon)
- Perihelion: November 8, 2025 (mag 4.5)
- Closest approach to Earth: October 21, 2025 (mag 4.3)
- Where to observe: Northern Hemisphere
Will C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) be visible from Earth?
At the end of October 2025, Comet Lemmon passes as close as 0.6 AU to Earth, conveniently positioned in the evening sky for observers in the Northern Hemisphere. In October and November, the comet reaches a magnitude of about 4–5 and becomes visible through binoculars and to the naked eye under a very dark sky.
When was C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) discovered?
C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) is a dynamically old comet, meaning it has passed close to the Sun multiple times. It was discovered on January 3, 2025, by astronomers at Arizona's Mount Lemmon Observatory, USA. Initially, the object was designated CCNG6P2; 1.5 months later, it was confirmed to be a comet and named C/2025 A6 (Lemmon).
Comet in late November 2025: 210P/Christensen
- Perihelion: November 22, 2025 (mag 9.9)
- Closest approach to Earth: November 8, 2025 (mag 10)
- Where to observe: Northern Hemisphere
Will 210P/Christensen be visible from Earth?
At the end of November 2025, Comet 210P/Christensen may be bright enough to be seen with binoculars. It will sit low in the pre-dawn eastern sky — look near the horizon as soon as the sky is fully dark. Before then, the comet remains too faint and too close to the Sun’s glare to be spotted.
When was 210P/Christensen discovered?
210P/Christensen is a Jupiter family periodic comet discovered by American astronomer Eric Christensen on May 26, 2003, in images taken by the Catalina Sky Survey. The comet has an orbital period of 5.7 years. Its nucleus is about 1.7 km (1.06 miles) in diameter.
Comet in late November – December 2025: 3I/ATLAS or C/2025 N1 (ATLAS)
- Perihelion: October 29, 2025 (mag 11.1)
- Closest approach to Earth: December 19, 2025 (mag ?)
- Where to observe: Both hemispheres
Will 3I/ATLAS be visible from Earth?
3I/ATLAS, also designated as C/2025 N1 (ATLAS), is a rare interstellar visitor that will become observable from late November 2025. Under the most optimistic scenarios, it could brighten to about magnitude 8, making it visible in small telescopes or even binoculars at dawn from both hemispheres. More conservative (and realistic) estimates put its peak around mag 12, requiring a 20 cm (8-in) telescope under dark skies. Around perihelion, the comet won’t be visible — Earth and the comet will lie on opposite sides of the Sun.
When was 3I/ATLAS discovered?
Discovered on July 1, 2025, by the ATLAS survey at Río Hurtado, Chile, this is the third confirmed interstellar object — after 1I/ʻOumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019). Its nucleus is estimated to be between 320 m and 5.6 km (0.2–3.5 miles) in diameter — with the most likely size being less than 1 km (0.62 mi). Thus, 3I/ATLAS might be similar in size to ʻOumuamua (100-1,000 m or 0.06–0.6 mi) and Comet Borisov (~975 m or 0.6 mi).
Comet in November 2025 – February 2026: C/2024 E1 (Wierzchos)
- Perihelion: January 20, 2026 (mag 8.5)
- Closest approach to Earth: Feb 17, 2026 (mag 9.0)
- Where to observe: Northern Hemisphere (before perihelion), Southern Hemisphere (after perihelion)
Will C/2024 E1 (Wierzchos) be visible from Earth?
In the autumn of 2025, the comet may become visible through small telescopes or binoculars for observers in the Northern Hemisphere. Then, as the comet moves toward perihelion, it will be positioned too close to the Sun to be observable. After perihelion, it will be best observable from the Southern Hemisphere and might be visible with binoculars.
When was C/2024 E1 (Wierzchos) discovered?
Comet C/2024 E1 Wierzchos was discovered by Polish astronomer Kacper Wierzchos on March 3, 2024, in images taken by the Mount Lemmon Survey. The comet’s orbital period is yet to be determined.
Comet in mid-January 2026: 24P/Schaumasse
- Perihelion: January 8, 2026 (mag 10.4)
- Closest approach to Earth: January 4, 2026 (mag 10.4)
- Where to observe: Both hemispheres
Will 24P/Schaumasse be visible from Earth?
Comet Schaumasse will reach its brightest in early 2026 and might become visible with binoculars. Before that, from November 8 to 11, 2025, the comet will be passing close to the famous Beehive Cluster (M44) in the sky, providing a good photo opportunity.
When was 24P/Schaumasse discovered?
Comet 24/P Schaumasse is a periodic comet discovered by French astronomer Alexandre Schaumasse on 1 December 1911 in Nice, France. It has an orbital period of 8.18 years. The comet nucleus is estimated to be 2.6 km (1.6 miles) in diameter.
Comet in late April – early May 2026: C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS
- Perihelion: April 20, 2026 (mag 8.0)
- Closest approach to Earth: April 27, 2026 (mag 8.0)
- Where to observe: Northern Hemisphere (before perihelion), Southern Hemisphere (after perihelion)
Will C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS be visible from Earth?
Comet C/2025 R3 is expected to reach about magnitude 8 — too dim for the naked eye but possibly visible with binoculars under dark skies. There’s also a slight chance it could brighten to around magnitude 3 because of forward scattering, making it visible with the naked eye. The best time to look will be from late April to early May 2026, when it appears low in the twilight sky. Visibility will depend on your location: observers in the Northern Hemisphere may spot it in the morning in late April, while those in the Southern Hemisphere will have a chance to see it in the evening skies in early May.
When was C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS discovered?
The comet was discovered on September 8, 2025, by the Pan-STARRS survey telescope in Hawaii. C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS is a long-period comet with an unknown orbital period. It may follow a hyperbolic path, making a single pass by the Sun before heading into interstellar space. If so, April 2026 could be humanity’s only chance to see it. Even if further calculations show the comet is still gravitationally tied to the Sun, its orbit would probably be so long that it won’t come back in our lifetimes.
Comet in early July – late August 2026: 10P/Tempel 2
- Perihelion: August 2, 2026 (mag 8.0)
- Closest approach to Earth: August 3, 2026 (mag 8.0)
- Where to observe: Both hemispheres
Will 10P/Tempel 2 be visible from Earth?
From July 2026 onward, 10P/Tempel 2 will emerge in the evening sky after sunset. The comet will be visible in both hemispheres; in the Southern Hemisphere, it will rise much higher above the horizon than in the Northern Hemisphere. Around perihelion, the comet should brighten to about mag 8.0 — easily seen with binoculars or a small telescope under dark skies.
When was 10P/Tempel 2 discovered?
Discovered on July 4, 1873, by Wilhelm Tempel, 10P/Tempel 2 is a Jupiter-family periodic comet. It orbits the Sun every 1,960 days (≈5.37 years), traveling between 1.42 AU at perihelion and 4.71 AU at aphelion.
How to find a comet using Sky Tonight?
Comets are faint and fuzzy objects that are hard to detect, so it’s best to know their location for certain. The Sky Tonight app will help you quickly find any bright comet in the sky. Here’s what you need to do:
- Tap the magnifier icon at the lower part of the screen;
- In the Search field, enter the comet’s name or designation;
- Find the comet in the search results and tap the blue target icon next to its name;
- The app will show the comet’s current location in the sky;
- Point your device at the sky and follow the white arrow to find the comet.
You can also tap the comet’s name in the search results and then go to the Events tab to view the events related to the comet: perihelion and closest approach to Earth. Tap the blue target icon next to the event to see the comet’s location at the time of perihelion or closest approach.
Next comet visible from Earth: Bottom line
Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) is in the evening sky now. It’s bright enough for binoculars, and under a truly dark, clear, moonless sky you may even glimpse it with the naked eye. Stay tuned for the latest comet updates!
While working on this article, we used data provided by the Comet Observation database, TheSkyLive website, as well as data from astronomers Gideon van Buitenen and Seiichi Yoshida.
