Rare comet to flash through New Zealand skies before it disappears for 170,000 years

"The comet C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS is fairly bright, but people would need binoculars, a telescope or a camera to see it. It's not naked-eye brightness but this one is a decently easy one to photograph, which is always nice."

"Those wishing to see the comet should find a clear, unobstructed view of the western horizon just after sunset, when the comet is still low in the sky. It will be most visible in the hour after the sun goes down."

"C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS originates in the Oort Cloud, a vast shell of icy comet-like objects surrounding the distant-most edges of our solar system. It takes roughly 170,000 years to orbit the sun."

"It's really hard to predict the trajectory of them, because as they do go around the sun, they're losing mass, and that can change the path. So it could be back in that amount of time, but it also could be ejected from the solar system entirely."

Comet C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS is currently visible in southern skies after traveling through the northern hemisphere. It requires binoculars or a telescope to see, as it is not bright enough for the naked eye. The comet will decrease in brightness over the next two weeks, and viewers in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and the Pacific should look for it just after sunset. It originates from the Oort Cloud and takes approximately 170,000 years to orbit the sun.

Read at www.theguardian.com