What Comet Is Visible Now? Best Comets to Watch in 2026
Looking for the next comet visible from Earth? In April 2026, the most promising candidate is C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS). It is already visible through binoculars and telescopes before dawn. Later this month, after April 19, it may brighten enough to become visible to the naked eye. In this guide, you’ll find the most promising comets of 2026. For real-time comet tracking and visibility forecasts tailored to your location, use the free Sky Tonight app.
Contents
- Next comet visible from Earth: April 2026
- Comet in April – May 2026: C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS 🌟
- Comet in mid-February – April 2026: 88P/Howell
- 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: April 2026
The most promising comet to watch right now is C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS). It is already visible through binoculars and telescopes and is also a good target for astrophotography. It should stay in view from the Northern Hemisphere until the end of April. After reaching perihelion on April 19, it could brighten enough to become visible to the naked eye, and in the best-case scenario, it may even approach planet-like brightness. By late April and into May, it will move from northern skies into a more favorable position for the Southern Hemisphere.
Another comet that drew a lot of attention earlier this month, C/2026 A1 (MAPS), unfortunately, did not live up to expectations. The comet disintegrated during perihelion on April 4, 2026, so it is no longer expected to become visible.
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 April – May 2026: C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS 🌟
- Perihelion: April 19, 2026 (mag 3.2)
- Closest approach to Earth: April 26, 2026 (mag 0.8)
- Where to observe: Northern Hemisphere (before perihelion), Southern Hemisphere (after perihelion)
Will C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS be visible from Earth?
C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) is already visible through binoculars and telescopes from the Northern Hemisphere and may become visible to the naked eye after passing perihelion on April 19, 2026. In the most likely scenario, it could brighten to about magnitude 3.2 — similar to the stars of the Big Dipper. In the best case, it could become much brighter, possibly reaching magnitude −0.5 and rivaling the brightest planets, although it would still look like a fuzzy object, not a bright point of light.
The best time to look for C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS will be from late April to early May 2026, when it appears low in the twilight sky. Before perihelion, Northern Hemisphere observers have the better chance in the morning sky. After perihelion, visibility rapidly worsens in the north and improves in the Southern Hemisphere, where the comet will become an evening object in late April and early May.
Learn more: All you need to know about C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS
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 mid-February – April 2026: 88P/Howell
- Perihelion: March 18, 2026 (mag 12.8)
- Closest approach to Earth: October 10, 2026 (mag 15.4)
- Where to observe: Southern Hemisphere
Will 88P/Howell be visible from Earth?
Comet 88P/Howell is one of the quieter comet targets of 2026, visible from southern latitudes from mid-February to about the end of April. It reached its brightest point around perihelion on March 18, 2026, when it became a good telescopic target. In April, it should still remain observable through telescopes for Southern Hemisphere skywatchers.
When was 88P/Howell discovered?
88P/Howell was discovered on August 29, 1981, by Ellen Howell, an American astronomer and planetary scientist. It is a short-period comet with an orbital period of about 5.5 years. During a favorable return, the comet may reach around 7th magnitude.
Comet in early July – late August 2026: 10P/Tempel 2
- Perihelion: August 2, 2026 (mag 6.9)
- Closest approach to Earth: August 3, 2026 (mag 6.9)
- 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 7.0 — 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
In April 2026, all eyes are on C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS). It is already a good target for binoculars and small telescopes, and after perihelion on April 19 it may even become visible to the naked eye. Before perihelion, it is best placed for morning observers in the Northern Hemisphere; later in April, visibility should improve in the Southern Hemisphere. We’ll be following it closely.
Stay tuned for the latest comet updates! While we’re waiting for a bright comet to appear, let’s brush up on some astronomy basics in an easy, visual way. Learn how comets differ from meteors and asteroids with our All You Need to Know About Comets infographic.
While working on this article, we used data from the following sources:
- Comet Observation database;
- TheSkyLive;
- Astronomer Gideon van Buitenen;
- Astronomer Seiichi Yoshida.
