According to information from the Department of Astrophysics of the Physics Faculty at Baku State University (BSU), Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) will pass extremely close to the Sun in the coming days.

Scientists note that the comet may fall into the Sun on April 4, 2026, where it could disintegrate or completely evaporate. According to preliminary calculations, Comet MAPS may be a fragment of the famous Great Comet of 1106, one of the brightest comets observed during the Middle Ages.

When a comet approaches the Sun, the ice and volatile substances in its nucleus rapidly evaporate, producing powerful streams of gas and dust and causing the comet’s tail to grow quickly. At very small distances from the Sun, the extremely high temperature of the solar corona and strong solar wind can destroy a comet’s nucleus. Astronomers estimate that the comet’s chances of surviving its very close approach to the Sun—about 750,000 km—are very low, given its nucleus size of roughly 2 km.

Currently, the comet’s brightness is about +11.6 magnitude, meaning it can be observed only through telescopes. However, its brightness is expected to increase rapidly as it approaches the Sun. By late March and early April, the comet’s tail may become visible through small telescopes or even binoculars. It is also possible that the comet could briefly become visible to the naked eye, and potentially even in the daytime sky.

The best time to observe the comet will be shortly after sunset in the western sky, for about 1–1.5 hours, although its proximity to the Sun may make observations difficult.

The final stage of the comet’s approach will also be recorded by space telescopes and solar-observing instruments (coronagraphs), which may provide new information about the formation of comets, their composition, and their interaction with the solar environment.