3I/ATLAS, the third ever interstellar interloper in the solar system since 1I/Oumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019), created a huge buzz before quietly leaving after its closest approach to Earth on December 19, 2026 by 1.8 AU or roughly 270 million kilometers from Earth. For perspective, the Moon’s distance from Earth is 0.00257 AU or roughly 363,104 km at perigee (closest) to 405,696 km at apogee (furthest). While the exocomet excited the Earthlings, it was far from visible like the other striking Comet Hale-Bopp (C/1995 O1) in 1996. Will C/2026 A1 (MAPS) delight us with an early Diwali this year?
Dubbed the ‘Great Comet,’ C/2026 A1 (MAPS) was discovered on 13 January 2026, by the Chile-based MAPS project’s AMACS1 Observatory. The Kreutz sungrazer comet will go through its perihelion stage on April 4, 2026. On that day the C/2026 A1 (MAPS) will be 162,000 km from the sun. It will be closest to Earth on the next day at about 0.96 AU or roughly 142 million kilometers.
Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) update: comet MAPS is 10th magnitude or slightly brighter. Still brightening. Not entirely sure it is quite maintaining its brightening rate – at first glance it looks like there may have been a slight break in the brightening rate around March 13th.… pic.twitter.com/0hT2ietbkU
— Jure Atanackov (@JAtanackov) March 19, 2026
Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS)
2026 Mar. 18.01 UT m1=10.5: (m2=13.4) Dia.=&4.0′ Tail=&8.1′ in PA 98 deg… [T75] 0.25-m f/3.8 Newtonian reflector + CMOS… T. Prystavski (iTelescope observatory, X07 (remotely from Rio Hurtado Valley, Chile)) [evening twilight: Sun alt. -17 deg.] pic.twitter.com/fhjfxKTGLW
— 🇺🇦Taras Prystavski🇺🇦 (@prystavski) March 18, 2026
#Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS).
Taken by Dan Bartlett on March 9, 2026 CA, USA pic.twitter.com/ZKBj1DbUbf
— Peter the Great Space Science☀️ (@Space_PHD) March 11, 2026
If C/2026 A1 (MAPS) survives its perihelion, then it could attain enough brightness to be visible to the naked eye on Earth or at least with a half-decent telescope in the Southern Hemisphere. If the dive around the sun breaks up the Kreutz sungrazer, then do svidaniya.
We shall keep you posted.
See Also: More Cometary Scoop On Mashable India Here
Cover: James Webb / NASA