Astroblog: UPATE: Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) did not survive

Sunday, April 05, 2026

UPATE: Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) did not survive


Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) before heading into the oculting disk of the LASCO C3 imager	Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) debris plume exiting the oculting disk of the LASCO C3 imager

Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) before heading into the oculting disk of the LASCO C2 imager	Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) debris plume exiting the oculting disk of the LASCO C2 imager

Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) before heading into the oculting disk of the CCOR-1 imager	Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) debris plume exiting the oculting disk of the CCOR-1 imager

Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) ISON on the 28/11/2013 before and after its encounter with the Sun.

Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) did not survive perihelion, looking a lot like comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) as the debris cloud exited the occulting disks of SOHO Lasco C3, C3 and CCOR-1.

The debris plume is a lot more rarefied than the more condensed ISON plume. But like ISOn we are unlikely to see a C/2011 W3 (Lovejoy) style headless tail.


GIF animation of C/2026 A1 (MAPS) heading into and debris exiting the C3 occulting disk	GIF animation of C/2026 A1 (MAPS) heading into and debris the C2 occulting disk