Amateurs and experts have a lifetime opportunity to observe a rare comet

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) is currently visible in the sky, with peak visibility expected between April 17 and 21, Shrinivas Aundhkar, the director of the MGM APJ Abdul Kalam Astrospace Science Centre and Club here, said."The comet is likely to be visible during the early morning hours in the Northern Hemisphere. On Friday, there is the new moon (Amavasya), ensuring that the sky will be as dark as possible during the early morning hours, thereby providing ideal conditions for viewing the celestial object," he said.Aundhkar said the comet could be seen on the eastern horizon approximately one hour before sunrise. "It is expected to be visible to the naked eye against the dark sky till April 27; however, the use of binoculars is recommended. The comet can be found near the constellation Pisces and within the Great Square of Pegasus," he said.The comet was discovered through images captured by the PANSTARRS system on Sept 8, 2025. Since March 20, 2026, it has been visible through special binoculars.According to experts, Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) is a long-period comet, likely originating from the Oort cloud, and has been completing an orbit of the Sun only once every 1,70,000 years.