A Rare Daytime “Easter Comet” Could Be Visible in New York Skies This April

Stargazers might want to keep an eye on the sky in early April because a newly discovered comet could put on a rare show... if it survives an extremely close brush with the sun.

Astronomers say Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) has been rapidly brightening since it was first spotted earlier this year. And, if everything goes right, it might even become visible around sunset in the days after April 4.

But the comet has to survive first.

A Comet With a Dangerous Path

The comet was discovered on January 13 by a group of French astronomers using an observatory in Chile. At the time, it was incredibly faint and sitting about 191 million miles from the sun, far beyond the reach of most backyard telescopes.

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Since then, it has brightened dramatically, like 600 times brighter, as it races toward the inner solar system.

But, what makes this comet especially interesting is that it belongs to a rare family of comets known as Kreutz sungrazers. These are comets that swing extremely close to the sun. Some of the most spectacular comets ever recorded have come from this group.

But getting that close to the sun is risky.

On April 4, the comet will whip around the sun at more than 1 million miles per hour, passing just about 99,000 miles above the sun’s surface. At that distance, it will be flying through the sun’s super-heated outer atmosphere, where temperatures can reach around 2 million degrees.

That kind of heat and gravitational pull could easily tear the comet apart.

If It Survives, We Might See It From New York

If the comet makes it through the encounter intact, skywatchers could get a short viewing window.

Experts say the comet might become visible between April 8 and April 14, low in the western sky shortly after sunset. In a best-case scenario, it could become extremely bright. Brighter than Venus, even.

For those hoping to catch a glimpse, binoculars will likely help, especially since comets can be easily hidden by clouds, haze, or light pollution.

Astronomers recommend looking about 45 minutes after sunset and using Venus as a guide.

Don’t Try to Look Near the Sun

One important warning: never try to look directly toward the sun to find the comet, even if you’re using sunglasses, binoculars, or a telescope.

Looking at the sun can cause permanent eye damage in seconds, even if it doesn’t hurt at the time.

The Safest Way to Watch

The safest way to watch the comet’s dramatic flyby will actually be online.

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NASA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft is expected to capture the comet as it approaches the sun between April 2 and April 6. Those images are usually posted publicly and often show amazing footage of comets racing past the sun.

Why This Comet Is So Rare

Comets like this don’t come around often. Scientists estimate Comet MAPS takes roughly 1,675 years to orbit the sun, meaning the last time it passed through the inner solar system could have been during the 4th century.

So if it survives its fiery encounter with the sun, we could be looking at a once-in-a-lifetime sky show.

Now we just have to see if it makes it.

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