Image credit: The Sky Live
Comet fans can once again rejoice! Throughout the early part of 2026, a new comet—C/2026 A1 (MAPS)— could put on a beautiful show through the inner solar system and become visible in the night sky, perhaps significantly so. Comets, as many readers may already know, are cosmic snowballs composed of frozen gases, rock, and dust that orbit the Sun. They can be dynamic in size and behavior, ranging from the size of a city to a few meters across. The dust and gases from comets as they approach the inner solar system are heated by the Sun, creating a tail that stretches away from the Sun for millions of miles. It’s thought there are likely billions of comets orbiting our Sun in the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud. Some comets, like the recent Comet 3I/ATLAS, even originate from other solar systems! This article will cover Comet MAPS, when to see it, and some good gear you can use to check it out.
C/2026 A1 (MAPS) is classified as a sungrazing comet, meaning it passes extremely close to the Sun at perihelion. Sungrazers are frequently associated with the Kreutz comet family. It’s believed that Kreutz sungrazers are fragments of a larger progenitor body that broke apart centuries ago in what was likely the most spectacular comet of the last several thousand years. Kreutz sungrazers approach the Sun at an extremely close proximity. Members of this family follow similar orbital paths and experience extreme tidal stresses from their approach to the Sun, to the point that they are often ripped apart as they make their close approach.
C/2026 A1 (MAPS) is unique even among sungrazers, as it is very dynamically active at a far distance from the Sun. It was discovered nearly 81 days before its perihelion, an unusually early timeframe for Kreutz sungrazers. This might mean it is either a large comet, or a very active comet. However, despite this promising sign, there’s evidence to worry that this comet may not be all the hype. Recent Kreutz sungrazers, such as C/2024 S1 (ATLAS), were observed to fragment or disintegrate before perihelion, despite promising pre-show performances. This is because of the Sun’s immense gravitational pull on the comet as it makes its very close approach to the Sun. Even historically bright comets like C/2011 W3 (Lovejoy) only survived by a very slim margin. An early, dynamically active comet might also indicate instability. Early brightness measurements do not necessarily correlate with a bright comet. While the signs indicate MAPS may put on a similar show to C/2011 W3 (Lovejoy), this is not a reliable predictor. We do not truly know how much of a show this comet will put on until it makes it to perihelion.
Comet Lovejoy - a recent famous example of a Kreutz sungrazer comet. Credit: NASA/Dan Burbank.
Viewing Prospects for Comet MAPS
Unfortunately, viewing for the comet in the Northern Hemisphere will be quite poor prior to perihelion. Throughout the month of March, the comet will be fairly dim and visible only through an 8-10” telescope at most. It will hover close to the southwestern horizon in the constellation of Eridanus in the early part of the month, and the constellation of Cetus throughout the remainder of the month. These two constellations are close to the horizon after sunset, limiting visibility before they set.
Comet C/2026 A1 position on the evening of March 1st. Note the proximity to two other comets in the sky.
Click to Enlarge ImageAs the comet whips around the Sun on April 4th, it will become invisible to the naked eye. Should the comet break up during its close approach, it may take on a “headless” appearance similar to Comet Lovejoy. But if the comet can survive its perilous close approach to our parent star, it’ll put on a brilliant display – potentially even to the status of a “Great Comet”! However, as with all sungrazers, the window to see this comet will be very narrow as it’ll rapidly decrease in brightness. Your best bet to observe the comet will be on the evening of April 5th through the 10th, very close to the Sun, where you may see a faint tail extending far from the Sun, pointed eastwards.
Example of where to look for the comet on the evening of April 6th, very close to the western horizon after sunset.
Click to Enlarge ImageBest Gear to Observe the Comet
Kreutz sungrazers are great for observing because they very rarely require more than your eyes or a pair of binoculars. If you’re looking to observe the comet prior to its best show, we strongly recommend a lot of aperture - something like an Apertura AD8 Dobsonian. However, you will not be able to see much other than a faint, fuzzy object. A telescope with GoTo will make it significantly easier to find the comet before it sets. Those with a NexStar 8SE, for example, would be primed to quickly find this comet prior to losing it in the haze of a distant light dome or the western horizon. During the “prime time” to view the comet in early April, your best bet would be your naked eyes or a pair of ultra wide angle binoculars. The comet’s tail will only be briefly visible after sunset, and will appear as a ghostly, pencil-like trail pointing away from the Sun. However, it will be quite long, perhaps as much as 10 degrees, perfect to see with the naked eye. No matter what, anyone with an interest in seeing this comet will be able to spot it should it survive!
References
- International Astronomical Union Minor Planet Center. (2026). Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) orbital elements. https://minorplanetcenter.net
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. (n.d.). Small-Body Database Lookup. NASA Solar System Dynamics. https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html
- NASA Solar System Exploration. (n.d.). Comets: Overview. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/comets/
- Van Buitenen, G. (2026). Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) – Ephemerides and brightness predictions. https://astro.vanbuitenen.nl/comet/2026A1
