Here’s what needs to be right for you to see the rare Sungrazer Comet this weekend
A comet is up to something pretty wild this Saturday, April 4, flying absurdly close to the sun and hoping for the best.
The object in question is Comet C/2026 A1, better known as MAPS, a rare Kreutz sungrazer that will make its closest approach to the Sun on April 4. According to the British Astronomical Association, it is expected to skim about 98,000 miles above the Sun’s surface and pass through the lower corona around 10 p.m. 9:30 a.m. EDT.
MAPS was discovered on January 13 by French astronomers working at the AMACS1 observatory in Chile. Early estimates had the core at about 1.5 miles wide, but later observations by the James Webb Space Telescope cut that down to about 0.4 kilometers, or about a quarter of a mile. This is not good news for the sungrazer, because the smaller they are, the less likely they are to survive a visit to the sun. Sky & Telescope described that size as roughly comparable to Comet Lovejoy, another sungrazer that famously survived a brutal solar pass in 2011.
What needs to happen for you to see the rare Sungrazer Comet this weekend
The survival of this comet is the big draw. Kreutz sungrazers are comets that swing frighteningly close to the sun, blaze more brightly, and often break up in the process. The European Space Agency notes that many of them simply evaporate. If MAPS holds together, even partially, it could make for a great show after sunset in the coming days. The British Astronomical Association says a bright tail may become visible in the western evening sky from around April 9.
There’s also the possibility that it disintegrates and still gives us a decent show, because comet predictions always come with a heavy dose of “maybe.” Space.com laid out the most likely options this week: total disintegration before perihelion, breakup after perihelion, or survival long enough to give observers a bright post-sunset display. Given the relatively small nucleus of the comet, the first result is very much on the table.
For anyone tempted by the “daylight comet” angle, don’t be silly about it. Seeing anything near the sun can permanently damage your eyes. Space.com recommends following the action through NASA’s SOHO LASCO C3 camera rather than trying to see it yourself in broad daylight. If MAPS survives, the safer and much less dangerous plan is to wait a few days and look west after sunset.
