An incredible photo shared to social media captures a comet flying over a mountain in New Zealand. The comet, designated C/2025 R3 PANSTARRS, has been gradually making its way from the edge of the Solar System past Earth after being first spotted last year.
Comet's Journey and Visibility
During April, the comet graced the skies of the northern hemisphere before stargazers in New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa had a two-week window to observe the shooting star on its orbit around the Sun earlier this month. However, the comet appeared as a blue-green orb with a smudgy tail and was only visible through telescopes, binoculars, or camera lenses.
Astronomers estimate that once C/2025 R3 PANSTARRS has passed Earth, it may not return for up to 170,000 years. 'Whenever we spot them, it's the first time we've seen them, and it's also the only time that we will see them in our lifetime,' said John Aoraki of the Te Whatu Stardome in Auckland.
Capturing the Perfect Shot
Stargazers had only a couple of weeks to capture the perfect photo, and one managed to do just that. Instagram user @galactic_kiwi shared a jaw-dropping image showing the comet flying over New Zealand's Mount Taranaki, the second highest peak on the country's North Island.
Explaining how he captured the stunning snap, he said: 'I made a quick trip to capture Orion setting over the stunning Mount Taranaki, dressed in an early dusting of snow. Comet C/2025 R3 PANSTARRS is visible in the sky, though it had shifted since my panorama from the previous day. This time, its trail perfectly bisects the star Saiph.'
'I combined full-colour data captured with the mountain alongside duoband data to bring out the H-alpha emission throughout the region. I especially love how clearly the Horsehead Nebula emerged in the final image. The glow illuminating the slopes comes from Manganui Lodge on the left and Tahurangi Lodge on the right.'
Origin and Discovery
The comet is understood to have originated in a region called the Oort cloud, situated light-years away from Earth beyond Pluto. The first person to spot the shooting star in September 2025 was Yudish Ramanjooloo, a researcher at the University of Hawaii.
He said: 'We mostly deal with asteroids and when we see something that's unusual, it's always a little exciting.' Mr Ramanjooloo told the New York Times that comets are 'primordial building blocks' of the solar system. He added: 'They give us clues on what our solar system was like when they were first formed, and we can learn how that's evolved over time.'
