A newly found comet, named MAPS, might offer a rare viewing opportunity in April. If it survives its close pass by the sun, it could become an "Easter comet."
The comet was named after its discoverers: Alain Maury, Georges Attard, Daniel Parrott, and Florian Signoret. These researchers run a program that searches for near-Earth asteroids. When they first found the comet, it was 191 million miles from Earth. It has been moving closer ever since.
Comet MAPS Approaches the Sun
On April 4, the MAPS Comet will come very close to the sun, just 99,000 miles away. It will pass through the sun's corona, where temperatures can reach nearly 2 million degrees. Because of this extreme heat, the comet might not survive its journey.
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Start Your News DetoxThe MAPS Comet is part of the Kreutz sungrazer family. These comets are known for being very unpredictable.
People on social media are excited about the possibility of seeing the comet. Stefan Burns shared on X, "The projected lightcurve of Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) is insane… Perihelion is April 3rd, it is possible this becomes the greatest comet of the 21st century, who knows!"
One commenter suggested the comet could be three times brighter than the moon, if it isn't destroyed by the sun. Another person compared its potential brightness to the famous 1843 daylight comet. Many are hoping the predictions come true.
