The discovery of the first comet of 2026 has been announced. This comet will fall into the Sun on April 4th of this year.

The International Astronomical Union officially announced the discovery of the first comet of 2026, named C/2026 A1 (MAPS). The comet was first observed on January 13, 2026, at the AMACS1 observatory as part of the MAPS program, a fact reflected in the celestial body's name.

The comet is currently approximately 200 million kilometers from Earth and approximately 300 million kilometers from the Sun. Based on its orbit, it is believed to be a fragment of the Great Comet of 1106, which was observed almost 1,000 years ago—from early February to mid-March—a dazzling white giant star with a tail extending across the sky. This was recorded in manuscripts in China, Japan, and Britain. It is currently believed that this celestial body subsequently broke into multiple pieces, with one of the largest fragments reappearing in 1843 as the Great Comet of 1843.

The new comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) is believed to be another fragment of this body.

The comet, however, faces an equally surprising fate. According to calculations, the newly discovered celestial body will end its life on April 4 of this year, when it falls into the Sun. The celestial body, which formed billions of years ago at the dawn of the Solar System, has 73 days left to live.