C/2026 A1 (MAPS)
Comet MAPS as seen by the James Webb Space Telescope on 7 February 2026 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | MAP Observation Program
|
| Discovery site | AMACS1, Chile (W94) |
| Discovery date | 13 January 2026 |
| Designations | |
| 6AC4721, CK26A010 | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch | 5 February 2026 (JD 2461076.5) |
| Observation arc | 58 days |
| Earliest precovery date | 18 December 2025 |
| Number of observations | 793 |
| Orbit type | Kreutz sungrazer |
| Aphelion | 305±3 AU |
| Perihelion | 0.005724 AU (1.231 R☉) |
| Semi-major axis | 153±1 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.99996 |
| Orbital period | 1887±25 years 1684 years (inbound) |
| Max. orbital speed | 557 km/s |
| Inclination | 144.49° |
| 7.86° | |
| Argument of periapsis | 86.3° |
| Mean anomaly | 359.97° |
| Next perihelion | 4 April 2026 ≈14:21 UT |
| TJupiter | –0.042 |
| Earth MOID | 0.556 AU |
| Jupiter MOID | 2.987 AU |
| Physical characteristics | |
Mean radius | < 1.2 km (0.75 mi) |
| Comet total magnitude (M1) | 15.2 |
| 11 (9 March 2026) | |
C/2026 A1 (MAPS), formerly known by its temporary designation as 6AC4721, is a Kreutz sungrazer comet discovered on 13 January 2026 from the AMACS1 Observatory in the Atacama Desert. This comet was discovered through the MAPS program, which was led by Alain Maury, Georges Attard, Daniel Parrott and Florian Signoret. On 4 April 2026, it will pass about 161,000 km (100,000 mi) from the surface of the Sun. When near the Sun, the forward scattering of light could make the comet significantly brighter, but hard to see against the glare of the Sun. How bright the comet will get is largely unknown as it depends on the comet's survival upon perihelion approach.