2026-04-03 04:00:00 UTC (Delta: 2026-04-02)
☄️C/2026 A1 (MAPS)
- Barycentric speed: 114.90 km/s (+19.15 km/s)
- Perihelion in: 1 day
- Closest approach to Earth in: 2 days
- Brightness (Mag): 2.31 (-2.33)
- Visibility: Both hemispheres | Naked eye | Urban sky
🌎 Relative to Earth
- Distance (km): 158,914,459.29 km (-2,609,327.87 km)
- Distance (AU): 1.06 (-0.02)
- Light travel time: 8 min 50.10 s (-8.70 s)
While you're riding that Artemis high, save some popcorn for tomorrow's main event: Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) is about to do a spicy flyby through the solar corona.
This icy dirtball hasn't visited since the late Roman Empire (1,700 years ago). JWST confirms a 400 m core, but as it brushes the Sun tomorrow, it could outshine Venus.
Check the SOHO or PROBA-3 feeds for the best views. And please, don't stare at the Sun, our eyes aren't space probes!
Where are we now?