Rare 170,000-Year Comet Visible in Northern Hemisphere

In April 2026, stargazers were treated to a rare celestial event: the appearance of C/2025 R3, nicknamed the 170,000-year comet.

First identified by the Pan-STARRS survey in Hawaii in September 2025, this icy visitor travels from the distant Oort Cloud.

Its orbital path is so vast that it only enters our inner solar system once every 170,000 years, meaning the last time it passed by, humanity was still in the Paleolithic era.

Observers noted its unique greenish coma, caused by its chemical composition.

For those in the Northern Hemisphere, the peak viewing window occurred around April 19, 2026, when the comet reached its perihelion.

Observers looked toward the eastern horizon before sunrise, using binoculars to spot the faint, diffuse glow near the constellation Pegasus.

After its brief visit, the comet transitioned toward the Southern Hemisphere, continuing its long journey back into the depths of space.