Newly Discovered Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) May Become Visible in April
Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS), discovered in January 2026, is approaching a close encounter with the Sun in early April, potentially becoming visible to the naked eye if it survives perihelion.
Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) was discovered on January 13, 2026, by astronomers Alain Maury, Georges Attard, Daniel Parrott, and Florian Signoret using a remotely operated telescope in Chile's Atacama Desert. This comet belongs to the Kreutz sungrazer family, known for their close approaches to the Sun.
The comet is on a highly elongated orbit and is expected to pass within approximately 120,000 kilometers of the Sun's surface in early April 2026. If it withstands this close encounter, it could become a prominent feature in the evening sky during that period.
Historically, Kreutz sungrazers have produced some of the brightest comets observed, such as the Great Comet of 1965 (Ikeya-Seki), which became visible in daylight. However, the survival and brightness of Comet MAPS remain uncertain, as many sungrazers disintegrate when nearing the Sun.
Observers in the Southern Hemisphere are likely to have the best viewing opportunities if the comet survives perihelion. The exact visibility will depend on the comet's behavior as it approaches the Sun.