Astronomers at the Laboratory of Solar Astronomy (XRAS) have calculated the fate of the recently discovered comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS). According to their predictions, it will end its journey by colliding with the Sun on April 4, 2026. This was reported by the laboratory’s press service.

Orbit and Origin

The comet was discovered in January 2026 and is currently located about 200 million kilometers from Earth. Its trajectory indicates an almost complete plunge into the Sun’s atmosphere: its perihelion lies inside the solar photosphere. If the calculations are correct, the object, which formed billions of years ago in the Oort Cloud, has only about 73 days left to exist.

Scientists suggest that C/2026 A1 may be one of the fragments of the Great Comet of 1106, an exceptionally bright object observed in China, Japan, and Britain. That comet later broke apart, and one of its large fragments returned as the Great Comet of 1843. The present object is thought to be another descendant of the same parent comet.

What Will Happen at Impact

As the comet enters the solar corona, it will completely vaporize. Its nucleus, if it survives until the final moments, will disintegrate into gas and dust under the influence of extreme heating and powerful tidal forces. The resulting increase in brightness will most likely be detectable only by scientific instruments and will remain invisible to observers on Earth.

Nevertheless, astronomers hope to record spectral lines and track the dynamics of the comet’s destruction. This could provide valuable new information about the composition of comets originating in the distant outer regions of the Solar System.

Connection to Other Discoveries

Interestingly, just a few days before the announcement about the comet, astronomers reported a mysterious 10-second gamma-ray burst coming from a location about 13 billion light-years away, dating back to a time when the Universe was only around 730 million years old. Although the two events are not directly related, together they highlight how actively the distant and dynamic cosmos is being explored today.

In Brief

Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS), discovered in January 2026, is predicted to fall into the Sun on April 4. It may be a fragment of the Great Comet of 1106. The object is currently about 200 million kilometers from Earth and has roughly 73 days remaining. The collision will completely destroy its nucleus but could provide scientists with valuable data on the composition of ancient comets. It is set to become one of the most dramatic and precisely predictable events in the Solar System in the coming months.