Latest on the Kreutz Sungrazing Comet C/2026 A1 MAPS

Between March 6th and March 9th, C/2026 A1 quickly brightened by almost 1.5 magnitudes, from 12 to 10.5. At the same time, its coma (the comet's gaseous envelope) expanded 50% from 6′ to 9′, and its core became more compact. Exciting news! Then from March 11–17, in a seeming setback, the comet's brightness plateaued and its well-condensed coma shrank back to 6′.

Qicheng Zhang and his team used the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) on the James Webb Space Telescope to photograph Comet MAPS on Feb. 7, 2026.
NASA, ESA, CSA, JWST MIRI; Qicheng Zhang et al. (Image processing: Melina Thévenot) CC BY-SA 4.0

So, the big question is will MAPS be a great comet?

SkyandTelescope has a good article by Bob King on the expectations for comet MAPS. Great simulation/animation by French optical engineer and amateur photographer Nicolas Lefaudeux is included.