Rare Comet Visible Over Connecticut This Month: When, Where To Look
Patch • • science
Key Points:
- Comet PanSTARRS (C/2025 R3), originating from the Oort Cloud, is currently brightening and may be visible before sunrise in Connecticut, especially over the next few days and possibly Monday morning, weather permitting.
- The comet has a magnitude of about four, making it challenging but possible to see with binoculars or small telescopes; it appears as a faint, fuzzy patch rather than a bright streak.
- It follows an extremely long orbit of roughly 170,000 years, so this appearance is a rare opportunity for observers, though it is not expected to be a spectacular comet-of-the-century event.
- Visibility is best low in the eastern sky about 10 degrees above the horizon, requiring a dark location away from city lights and a clear view of the horizon.
- The comet will become harder to see after reaching perihelion on Sunday as it moves closer to the sun from Earth's perspective.
