A newly discovered comet, designated C/2026 A1 (MAPS), is on a collision course with the sun, offering a rare and potentially spectacular celestial event. If the comet survives its close encounter, it could become bright enough to be seen with the naked eye during the day – a phenomenon that hasn’t happened in decades.
The Perilous Path of a Sungrazer
This comet belongs to the Kreutz family, a group of over 3,500 comets known for their suicidal orbits that bring them within a mere 850,000 miles (1.4 million kilometers) of the sun. These comets are believed to be fragments of a much larger comet shattered by the sun’s gravity approximately 1,700 years ago. C/2026 A1 is roughly 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) wide and was first spotted in January 2024.
On April 4, 2026, the comet will reach perihelion – its closest approach to the sun – at a distance of around 500,000 miles (800,000 km). This is roughly 70 times closer than Mercury. At this point, it will be traveling at over 2 million mph (3.2 million km/h), experiencing extreme heat, radiation, and gravitational forces.
Will It Survive?
The immense stress of this journey will likely tear the comet apart, as happens to most sungrazers. However, if C/2026 A1 manages to survive, it will undergo a dramatic transformation. The intense solar radiation will vaporize its ice and dust, causing it to shine with incredible brightness – potentially brighter than the full moon.
This comet is a fragment of the “Great Comet of 1106,” a particularly bright sungrazer that produced stunning displays in the past, like Comet Ikeya-Seki (1965) and Comet Lovejoy (2011). The released gas and dust could also form a spectacular tail, similar to a broom, as the comet nears the sun.
When and Where to Look
If it survives, C/2026 A1 will reach peak brightness a few days after perihelion, as it nears Earth. Observers in the Southern Hemisphere will have the clearest views, but those in the Northern Hemisphere may catch a glimpse low on the southwestern horizon before sunset.
Even if it breaks apart, fragments could still be visible with a telescope or binoculars in late March. Another comet, C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS), is also expected to become visible in April, adding to the potential for a spectacular display.
The survival of C/2026 A1 is far from guaranteed, but if it holds together, it will be one of the most visible comets in decades, offering a rare daytime viewing opportunity.
Whether this comet earns the title of the “Great Comet of 2026” remains to be seen, but it’s already shaping up to be a celestial event worth watching.
