A newly discovered comet could soon put on a dazzling show in the sky. That is, if it survives an extremely close encounter with the sun.
Astronomers are closely watching Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS), a recently discovered object that may brighten dramatically in the coming weeks. If it withstands the sunโs intense heat during its closest approach on April 4, it could even become an โEaster cometโ visible in early April.
The comet was first detected on January 13 at the AMACS1 Observatory in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile by four French astronomers โ Alain Maury, Georges Attard, Daniel Parrott, and Florian Signoret. The team runs a near-Earth asteroid search program called MAPS, named after the initials of their surnames.
When it was discovered, the comet was extremely faint โ about 191 million miles (308 million kilometers) from the sun and barely visible at magnitude 18 in the constellation Columba.
But since then, the object has brightened roughly 600 times, reaching magnitude 11 โ bright enough to be detected with amateur telescopes using 8- to 10-inch apertures. Astronomers expect it to grow even brighter as it speeds toward the sun in the coming weeks.
A risky close encounter with the sun
What makes the comet particularly exciting is that it belongs to a rare family known as Kreutz sungrazers โ comets that pass extremely close to the sun.
Some of the brightest comets ever recorded were members of this group, including the Great Comets of 1843 and 1882 and the famous Comet Ikeya-Seki of 1965. More recently, Comet Lovejoy stunned observers in 2011 when it survived a similar close pass.
Comet MAPS will reach perihelion, or its closest approach to the sun, at around 10 am EDT (1400 GMT) on April 4.
At that moment, the comet will pass just 99,000 miles (159,300 kilometers) above the sunโs surface โ plunging through the scorching solar corona where temperatures can reach around 2 million degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 million degrees Celsius).
Because of these extreme conditions, scientists say the comet might not survive. It could be vaporized by the heat or torn apart by the sunโs intense gravitational forces.
Still, its trajectory suggests it wonโt plunge directly into the sun. Instead, it will whip around the star in a sharp, hairpin-like curve at speeds exceeding 1 million miles per hour.
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Could it be seen from Earth?
Some astronomers believe the comet could briefly become very bright.
Japanese comet observer Seiichi Yoshida estimates it could reach magnitude โ5, roughly as bright as Venus, during its closest approach.
But thereโs a catch: the comet will appear extremely close to the sun in the sky, making it difficult โ and dangerous โ to try to see directly.
Experts warn that looking toward the sun without proper protection can cause serious and permanent eye damage. Sunglasses, telescopes, and binoculars do not provide safe protection against the sunโs intense radiation.
Best way to watch: online
The safest way to follow the cometโs dramatic close pass will likely be through images from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft.
SOHOโs LASCO C3 coronagraph camera blocks out the sunโs bright disk, allowing scientists โ and the public โ to observe objects moving close to the sun.
Comet MAPS is expected to appear in SOHO images from April 2 until April 6. Around the time of perihelion, the comet may briefly appear to pass behind the sun from Earthโs perspective before quickly emerging on the other side.
Astronomers are hoping the spacecraft captures spectacular footage of the encounter โ especially if the comet survives its fiery brush with the sun.
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