A new comet is racing towards the Sun and could light up our evening skies in early April.
Named C/2026 A1 (MAPS), the comet was spotted just last month by amateur astronomers in Chile.
If it survives its close brush with the Sun, it may become bright enough to see without a telescope, even bright enough to be seen in daylight for a short period of time.
The best view of the incoming comet, however, would need a clear western horizon after sunset.
WHAT IS COMET MAPS & WHEN CAN WE SEE IT?
Comets are like dirty snowballs from the far edges of our solar system. They are made of ice, dust and rock. When they get close to the Sun, the heat turns the ice into gas, creating a glowing head and a long tail that points away from the Sun.
This one belongs to the special “Kreutz sungrazer” family. In other words, the comets that zoom very close to the Sun’s surface, heating up fast and often becoming super bright.
Past sungrazers like the Great Comet of 1965 were so bright they could be seen in the daytime.
The big moment of possibly seeing the comet in the sky is on April 4–5, when the comet reaches its closest point to the Sun.
Right now, in February, it is too faint to see without big telescopes.
By mid-March, it may appear as a small fuzzy spot in 8-10 inch telescopes low in the southwestern sky after sunset.
The real show starts after April 4 if the comet survives. Look west just after sunset in early to mid-April.
It will be near Venus at first, low on the horizon, but could grow a bright tail stretching upwards.
HOW BRIGHT WILL THE COMET GET?
There is no sure answer to the question yet, but if it holds together, it could shine as bright as Venus or even brighter for a few hours.
Some experts say it might reach negative magnitudes and glow in broad daylight.
Even if it is not that bright, the tail could still be easy to spot in twilight. It is glowing a pretty turquoise colour right now because of special gases.
And depending on how bright it gets, the question remains: Can people in India spot it?
WHEN WILL MAPS BE VISIBLE IN INDIA?
In short, yes.
People in India will be able to spot the comet, but only those in certain regions.
To spot the comet will not be easy for Northern Hemisphere viewers. The comet stays low in the western sky and close to the Sun’s glare. You will need a clear view without buildings or trees blocking the west.
The ideal time to spot it would be 30 to 45 minutes after sunset in the first week of April through either binoculars or a small telescope.
Southern India and places near the equator may have slightly better luck than the north.
To make the spotting easier, skywatchers can also make use of mobile apps like Stellarium that will tell you exactly where to spot the comet from.
Though it could potentially be a visually spectacular event, it is also important to keep expectations in check as many sungrazer comets do not survive the Sun’s heat and gravity.
If this one breaks, it could suddenly get even brighter for a day or two or disappear completely. For now, astronomers are watching it closely.
Either way, it is a rare chance to see a piece of ancient space history.
