A comet that last passed Earth 170,000 years ago is now visible in the night sky over New Zealand, giving stargazers a fleeting two week window to see it before it vanishes again for millennia.
The blue-green orb and its smudgy tail belong to a comet designated C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS. It formed at the edges of the solar system and has spent most of its existence far from the sun.
A rare southern sky visitor after swinging around the sun
The comet had been traveling through the northern hemisphere but recently swung around the sun and entered southern skies. Astronomer Josh Aoraki at Te Whatu Stardome in Auckland, New Zealand, confirmed the shift in visibility. Viewers in New Zealand and other southern locations now have the best chance to spot it.
How to see the blue-green orb before it disappears
The comet appears as a faint blue-green orb with a smudgy tail. It is best viewed away from city lights, using binoculars or a small telescope. The viewing window lasts roughly two weeks. After that, the comet will begin its long journey back to the outer solar system, not to return for another 170,000 years.
Local astronomers and amateur stargazers in New Zealand have taken particular interest because the comet is now exclusively visible from southern latitudes. For many, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity, literally. The last time this comet passed Earth, Neanderthals still walked the planet.
For New Zealanders, the event is a rare chance to connect with a deep time visitor from the solar system's edge. The comet's brief appearance reminds viewers that the sky holds objects moving on timescales far beyond a human lifetime.
