Astroblog


Eastern morning sky on Thursday, April 14 as seen from Adelaide at 6:04 ACST (60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen). Saturn, the crescent Moon and Mars form a triangle above the horizon. Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (60 minutes before sunrise)	North-western sky on Tuesday, April 19 as seen from Adelaide at 18:16 ACST (60 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). Venus and he thin crescent Moon are close together. Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (30 minutes after sunset)

To be read in conjunction with the astrophiz podcast #233

https://soundcloud.com/astrophiz/astrophiz-233-may-sky-guide-2026

May
02 May 2026	Full Moon
02 May 2026	Venus close to the Red star Aldebaran in the evening twilight
04 May 2026	Moon close to Antares in the morning twilight
6-7 May 2026	Eta Aquariid meteor shower
14 May 2026	Crescent Moon near Saturn in the morning twilight (3°)
15 May 2026	Crescent Moon near Mars in the morning twilight (3°)
19 May 2026	Crescent Moon near Venus in the evening twilight (3°)
20 May 2026	Crescent Moon near Jupiter in the evening twilight (3°)
23 May 2026	Moon close to Regulus in the evening sky
31 May 2026	Full Moon (Blue Moon and apogee Moon, apogee June 1 ). Occultation of Antares in early evening twilight.

Moon:

May 2	Full Moon
May 5	Moon at apogee
May10	Last Quarter Moon (ideal for star gazing)
May 17	New Moon (also ideal for star gazing)
May 17	Moon at perigee
May 23	First Quarter Moon "Lunar X" visible
May 31	Full Moon Moon (Blue Moon, difficult occultation of Antares) this is also an apogee Moon, where the moon is furthest from the Earth

Meteors:

The north-eastern horizon as seen from Adelaide at 5:00 am ACST on Thursday, 7 May, the eta Aquariid radiant is marked with a starburst. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen).

The eta Aquariid meteor shower, which is produced by the debris from Halley’s Comet, should peak on May 7 (strictly speaking May 6, 3UT). This year the waning gibbous moon interferes. Dark sky sites could expect to see meteor every 6 minutes.

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time.

Comets:

Western sky on Thursday, April 30 as seen from Adelaide at 18:30 ACST (60 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). Comet C/2025 R3 may be visible in the twilight.

Comet C/2025 R3 has survived perihelion so we have a chance to view it after it is closest to the earth on April 27.

It may be visible in Australia from the 27th if the brightest predictions are correct (probably not) and from the 30th if more modest predictions are correct. The comet is low in the twilight and may fade substantially before it gets high enough in dark skies to see properly. Nonetheless, at the very least it will be a nice little binocular comet.

A printable B&W spotters chart and viewing guides are at my comet C/2025 R3 viewing page.

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (60 minutes after sunset).

Stars:


South-Eastern sky as seen from Adelaide at 18:47 ACST on May 17 (90 minutes after sunset at new Moon, click to embiggen). The constellation of Crux is prominent with Scorpius ring below. Omega Centauri is indicated by the box. Similar views will been seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen)	South-Western sky as seen from Adelaide at 18:47 ACST on May 17 (90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). Eta Carina id indicated by the circle. The large and Small Magellanic clouds are also visible. Similar views will been seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen)

Orion the hunter is sinking low the west and his nemesis, Scorpius the scorpion, is rising in the east when the sky is fully dark.

It is almost galaxy season, with Sagittarius, and the heart of the Milky way, rising. At 10 pm local time, the southern cross is at its highest, and the magnificent globular cluster Omega Centauri is also at its highest. The False cross, the southern Pleiades and the riot of clusters are around eta Carina are also prominent.

Occultation of Antares 31 May:


The eastern sky at 17:19 ACST Sunday, May 31, as seen from Adelaide. The moon is about to occult the bright star Antares. The inset shows the telescopic view at the time. (click to embiggen). Click to embiggen	The eastern sky at 17:31 AEST Sunday, May 31, as seen from Sydney. The moon is about to occult the bright star Antares. The inset shows the telescopic view at the time. (click to embiggen). Click to embiggen	The eastern sky at 17:48 AEST Sunday, May 31, as seen from Melbourne. The moon is about to occult the bright star Antares. The inset shows the telescopic view at the time. (click to embiggen). Click to embiggen

The occultation of Antares, the brightest start in Scorpio, on the 31st of May by the Full (blue) Moon will be difficult, low on the horizon starting at twilight. Telescope only, unaided eye and binoculars will not be enough.

Place	Disappears Bright Limb	Reappears Dark Limb	Sun Set
Adelaide ACST	17:19	17:35	17:20
Brisbane AEST	17:17	18:10	17:07
Canberra AEST	17:36	18:13	17:07
Darwin ACST	-	-	18:30
Hobart AEST	-	-	16:58
Melbourne AEDST	17:48	18:10	17:18
Perth AWST	-	-	17:27
Sydney AEST	17:31	18:4	17:02

Labels: Monthly sky

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 11:38 pm 0 comments

The Full Moon is Saturday May 2. Venus climbs higher in the twilight. Jupiter dominates the north-western sky. In the morning Saturn, Mars and Mercury form a line. On the 30th comet C/2025 R3 PANSTARS may be seen low in the western evening twilight. Eta Aquariid meteor shower 6-7th May.

The Full Moon is Saturday May 2. The Moon is at apogee, when it is furthest from the Earth, on May 5.

Eastern horizon on the morning of Saturday, May 2 as seen from Adelaide at 5:56 ACST (60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).

Saturn, Mars, and Mercury form a line in the twilight.

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (60 minutes before sunrise).

Western sky on the evening of Saturday, May 2 as seen from Adelaide at 18:29 ACST ( 60 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen).

Venus is visible above the western horizon with Jupiter nearby, you may need a level, unobscured horizon to see it.

C/2025 R3 may be visible, possibly in binoculars

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (60 minutes after sunset).

North-western sky on Saturday, May 2 as seen from Adelaide at 18:58 ACDST (90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). Jupiter forms a broad triangle with the bright stars Betelgeuse and Procyon, and a narrower triangle with the stars Castor and Pollux.

The inset shows the telescopic view of Jupiter at this time.

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (90 minutes after sunset).

Western sky on Thursday, April 30 as seen from Adelaide at 18:30 ACST (60 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). Comet C/2025 R3 may be visible in the twilight.

Comet C/2025 R3 has survived perihelion so we have a chance to view it after it is closest to the earth on April 27.

It may be visible in Australia from the 27th if the brightest predictions are correct (probably not) and from the 30th if more modest predictions are correct. The comet is low in the twilight and may fade substantially before it gets high enough in dark skies to see properly. Nonetheless, at the very least it will be a nice little binocular comet.

A printable B&W spotters chart and viewing guides are at my comet C/2025 R3 viewing page.

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (60 minutes after sunset).

The north-eastern horizon as seen from Adelaide at 5:00 am ACST on Thursday, 7 May, the eta Aquariid radiant is marked with a starburst. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen).

The eta Aquariid meteor shower, which is produced by the debris from Halley’s Comet, should peak on May 7 (strictly speaking May 6, 3UT). This year the waning gibbous moon interferes. Dark sky sites could expect to see meteor every 6 minutes.

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time.

Whole sky on Saturday, May 2 as seen from Adelaide at 18:58 ACDST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen).

Jupiter is prominent in the north-west.

Bright Canopus and Sirius are sinking from the Zenith. Orion is now low in the north-western sky.

The Southern Cross is rising in the Southern sky. The moon is just past full and the fainter clusters and nebula are hard to see.

Elsewhere in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (90 minutes after sunset).

Mercury is sinking in the morning twilight, forming a line with Saturn and Mars .

Venus climbs higher in the evening twilight.

Mars is climbing in the twilight above Mercury.

Jupiter is seen most of the evening, setting before midnight. Jupiter forms a broad triangle with the bright stars Betelgeuse and Procyon, and a narrower triangle with the stars Castor and Pollux.

Saturn is climbing in the twilight above Mars and Mercury.

Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ACST, Western sky at 10 pm ACST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.

Star Map via Virtual sky. Use your mouse to scroll around and press 8 when your pointer is in the map to set to the current time.

Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.

Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/

Labels: weekly sky

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 11:36 pm 0 comments


Western sky on Thursday, April 30 as seen from Adelaide at 18:30 ACST (60 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). Comet C/2025 R3 may be visible in the twilight. Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (60 minutes after sunset)	Path of Comet C/2025 R3 over the month. Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (60 minutes after sunset).	Approximate binocular view of Comet C/2025 R3 until May 4th. Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (60 minutes after sunset).

C/2025 R3 (PANSTARS) has passed through the field of view of the SOHO, CORR-1 and STEREO satellites. C/2025 R3 has survived perihelion on 20 April and so we have a chance to view it after it is closest to the earth on April 27.

It may be visible in Australia from the 27th if the brightest predictions are correct (probably not) and from the 30th if more modest predictions are correct.

SOHO LASCO C3 image of comet C/2025 R3 on the 26th.

In the satellite images it looks like the comet got no brighter than magnitude 1, and by the time it is in our skies it may be magnitude 4.

While this is theoretically unaided eye visible, it is low in the twilight and may fade substantially before it gets high enough in dark skies to see properly. Nonetheless, at the very least it will be a nice little binocular comet.

At Nautical twilight (60 minutes after sunset) on April 30th, if you sweep down from blue-white Rigel, the brightest star in Orion. to almost level with Venus and Aldebaran, you should see the comet (it will be a faint fuzzy dot most likely).

On the 3rd to the 5th the comet is within a binocular field of nu Eridanus, star hopping down from Rigel by 3 binocular widths should bring you to nu Eridanus (see charts below)

On the 8th the comet is closest to bright Rigel. By then it may be at the limit of binocular observation.


B&W spotters chart	B&W binocular chart

Printable PDF versions of the charts are available. The B&W spotters chart is here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1owJ0a64MuxgW644us2p5Ih0_yWw7G1Aq/view?usp=sharing and the printable binocular chart is here https://drive.google.com/file/d/17rMC0lW7tCIw6sFQCziQ8HE_tDULafpV/view?usp=sharing

Labels: binocular, C/2025 R3, comet

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 1:41 pm 0 comments

The First Quarter Moon is Friday April 24. The Lunar X and V may be seen at this time. Venus climbs higher in the twilight. Jupiter dominates the north-western sky. In the morning Saturn, Mars, and Mercury form a line. On the 30th comet C/2025 R3 PANSTARS may be seen low in the western evening twilight.

The First Quarter Moon is Friday April 24. The Lunar X and V may be seen at this time.

S

Sky looking North-west on Friday April 24 as seen from Adelaide at 20:20 ACST (click to embiggen).

The First Quarter Moon is clearly visible above the horizon forming a triangle with Jupiter and Porcyon. The Lunar X and V may be seen in a telescope or strong binoculars. The inset shows the telescopic view at this time.

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (60 minutes after sunset).

Eastern horizon on the morning of Saturday, April 25 as seen from Adelaide at 5:51 ACST (60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).

Saturn, Mars, and Mercury form a line in the wilight.

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (60 minutes before sunrise).

Western sky on the evening of Saturday, April 25 as seen from Adelaide at 18:36 ACST ( 60 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen).

Venus is visible above the western horizon with Jupiter nearby, you may need a level, unobscured horizon to see it.

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (60 minutes after sunset).

North-western sky on Saturday, April 25 as seen from Adelaide at 19:05 ACDST (90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). Jupiter forms a broad triangle with the bright stars Betelgeuse and Procyon, and a narrower triangle with the stars Castor and Pollux.

The inset shows the telescopic view of Jupiter at this time.

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (90 minutes after sunset).

Western sky on Thursday, April 30 as seen from Adelaide at 18:30 ACST (60 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). Comet C/2025 R3 may be visible in the twilight.

C/2025 R3 is not a sungrazer, it only gets as close to the sun as between the orbits of Mercury and Venus. Magnitude predictions run anywhere between magnitude 8 (about as bright as Neptune) and 2.8 (about as bright as delta Crucis), not spectacular but easily visible after nautical twilight.

A printable B&W spotters chart is here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1owJ0a64MuxgW644us2p5Ih0_yWw7G1Aq/view?usp=sharing

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (60 minutes after sunset).

Whole sky on Saturday, April 25 as seen from Adelaide at 19:05 ACDST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen).

Jupiter is prominent in the north-west.

Bright Canopus and Sirius are sinking from the Zenith. Orion is now low in the north-western sky.

The Southern Cross is rising in the Southern sky. The moon is waxing and the fainter clusters and nebula are becoming harder to see.

Elsewhere in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (90 minutes after sunset).

Mercury is sinking in the morning twilight, forming a line with Saturn and Mars .

Venus climbs higher in the evening twilight.

Mars is climbing in the twilight above Mercury.

Jupiter is seen most of the evening, setting before midnight. Jupiter forms a broad triangle with the bright stars Betelgeuse and Procyon, and a narrower triangle with the stars Castor and Pollux.

Saturn is climbing in the twilight above Mercury and Mars.

Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ACST, Western sky at 10 pm ACST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.

Star Map via Virtual sky. Use your mouse to scroll around and press 8 when your pointer is in the map to set to the current time.

Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.

Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/

Labels: weekly sky

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 11:18 pm 0 comments


Eastern horizon on the morning of Thursday, April 16 as seen from Adelaide at 5:44 ACST (60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen). The Crescent Moon, Mercury, Mars and Saturn for a triangle approximately one hand-span across low to the horizon.	Eastern horizon on the morning of Sunday, April 19 as seen from Adelaide at 5:48 ACST (60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen). Mercury, Mars and Saturn for a triangle low to the horizon.

Eastern horizon on the morning of Monday, April 20 as seen from Adelaide at 5:48 ACST (60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen). Mercury, Mars and Saturn for a close triangle low to the horizon. Mars is closest to Saturn on the 20th (1.1°). The inset is the binocular view at the time.	Eastern horizon on the morning of Tuesday, April 21 as seen from Adelaide at 5:48 ACST (60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen). Mercury, Mars and Saturn for a close triangle low to the horizon. Mercury is 0.6° from Saturn and 1.6° from Mars. The inset is the binocular view at the time.

Over the past fews days in the morning twilight three bright planets, Mercury, Mars and Saturn, have been drawing closer.

On the 16th there is an attractive massing with three unaided eye planets just above the eastern horizon, all within a 6° circle.

Mercury at the top is 4° from Mars and 6° from Saturn, as a bonus, the slender crescent of the waning 28-day-old Moon is nearby. The planets then come closer and form a close triable between the 19th to 21st.

Mars is closest to Saturn on the 20th (1.1°).

On the 21st another nice close conjunction occurs with Mercury 0.6° from Saturn and 1.6° from Mars. Mars has close approaches with the Moon on the 16th (3°), Saturn on the 20th (1.1°) and Mercury on the 21st (1.7°).

After the close massing from the 23rd the planets stretch out into a line with Mercury heading towards the horizon and fading.

Labels: Mars, massing, Mercury, Moon, Saturn, unaided eye

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 6:24 pm 0 comments

The New Moon is Friday April 17. Venus climbs higher in the twilight and is close to the crescent moon on the 19th. Jupiter dominates the northern sky and is close to the Moon on the 23rd. In the morning Mercury, Mars, Saturn and the thin crescent Moon do a nice dance on the 16th, then Mercury, Mars and Saturn form a spectacularly close triangle from the 19th-22nd.

The New Moon is Friday April 17. Moon at is at perigee, when it is closest to the earth on April 19

Eastern horizon on the morning of Thursday, April 16 as seen from Adelaide at 5:44 ACST (60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).

The Crescent Moon, Mercury, Mars and Saturn for a triangle approximately one hand-span across low to the horizon. On the 15th they all form a line in the twilight.

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (60 minutes before sunrise).

Eastern horizon on the morning of Monday, April 20 as seen from Adelaide at 5:48 ACST (60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).

Mercury, Mars and Saturn for a close triangle approximately low to the horizon. Mars is closest to Saturn on the 20th (1.1°). On the 21st Mercury is 0.6° from Saturn and 1.6° from Mars. You may need binoculars to see these in the twilight. The inset is the binocular view at the time.

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (60 minutes before sunrise).

Western sky on the evening of Sunday, April 19 as seen from Adelaide at 18:13 ACST ( 30 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen).

Venus is visible above the western horizon with the thin crescent Moon just below, you will need a level, unobscured horizon to see it.

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (30 minutes after sunset).

North-western sky on Thursday, April 23 as seen from Adelaide at 19:07 ACDST (90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). Jupiter is close to the waxing Moon. Jupiter forms a broad triangle with the bright stars Betelgeuse and Procyon, and a narrower triangle with the stars Castor and Pollux.

The inset shows the telescopic view of Jupiter at this time.

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (90 minutes after sunset).

Whole sky on Saturday, April 18 as seen from Adelaide at 19:13 ACDST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen).

Jupiter is prominent in the north-west.

Bright Canopus and Sirius are sinking from the Zenith. Orion is now low in the north-western sky.

The Southern Cross is rising in the Southern sky. The moon is new and the fainter clusters and nebula are becoming easier to see.

Elsewhere in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (90 minutes after sunset).

Mercury climbs higher in the morning twilight. On the 16th The Crescent Moon, Mercury, Mars and Saturn form a triangle approximately one hand-span across low to the horizon. On the 15th they all form a line in the twilight. On the 16th there is an attractive massing with three unaided eye planets just above the eastern horizon. Mercury at the top is 4° from Mars and 6° from Saturn, as a bonus, the slender crescent of the waning 28-day-old Moon is nearby.
On the 21st another nice close conjunction occurs with Mercury 0.6° from Saturn and 1.6° from Mars. You may need binoculars to see these in the twilight.

Venus climbs higher in the evening twilight.

Mars is low in the twilight below Mercury. It is closest to Mercury on the 20th.

Jupiter is seen throughout the evening, setting after midnight. Jupiter is near the waxing Moon on the 23rd. Jupiter forms a broad triangle with the bright stars Betelgeuse and Procyon, and a narrower triangle with the stars Castor and Pollux.

Saturn is low in the twilight below Mercury and Mars.

Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ACST, Western sky at 10 pm ACST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.

Star Map via Virtual sky. Use your mouse to scroll around and press 8 when your pointer is in the map to set to the current time.

Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.

Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/

Labels: weekly sky

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 8:54 am 0 comments

The Last Quarter Moon is Friday April 10. Venus climbs higher in the twilight. Jupiter dominates the northern sky. In the morning Mercury, Mars, Saturn and the thin crescent Moon do a nice dance from the 15th to 16th. Comet C/2026 A1 did not make it around the sun.

The Last Quarter Moon is Friday April 10.

Eastern horizon on the morning of Thursday, April 16 as seen from Adelaide at 5:44 ACST (60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).

The Crescent Moon, Mercury, Mars and Saturn for a triangle approximately one hand-span across low to the horizon. On the 15th they all form a line in the twilight.

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (60 minutes before sunrise).

Western sky on the evening of Saturday, April 11 as seen from Adelaide at 18:23 ACST ( 30 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen).

Venus is visible just above the western horizon, you will need a level, unobscured horizon to see it.

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (30 minutes after sunset).

Northern sky on Saturday, April 11 as seen from Adelaide at 19:21 ACDST (90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). Jupiter was at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, on January the 10th, but will be bright for many months. Jupiter forms a broad triangle with the bright stars Betelgeuse and Procyon, and a narrower triangle with the stars Castor and Pollux.

The inset shows the telescopic view of Jupiter at this time.

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (90 minutes after sunset).

Whole sky on Saturday, April 11 as seen from Adelaide at 19:21 ACDST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen).

Jupiter is prominent in the north.

Bright Canopus and Sirius are near the Zenith. Orion is now in the north-western sky.

The Southern Cross is rising in the Southern sky. The moon is waning and the fainter clusters and nebula are becoming easier to see.

Elsewhere in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (90 minutes after sunset).

Mercury climbs higher in the morning twilight. On the 16th The Crescent Moon, Mercury, Mars and Saturn form a triangle approximately one hand-span across low to the horizon. On the 15th they all form a line in the twilight.

Venus climbs higher in the evening twilight.

Mars is low in the twilight below Mercury.

Jupiter is seen throughout the evening, setting after midnight. Jupiter was at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, on January the 10th. Jupiter forms a broad triangle with the bright stars Betelgeuse and Procyon, and a narrower triangle with the stars Castor and Pollux.

Saturn is low in the twilight below Mercury and Mars.

Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ACST, Western sky at 10 pm ACST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.

Star Map via Virtual sky. Use your mouse to scroll around and press 8 when your pointer is in the map to set to the current time.

Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.

Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/

Labels: weekly sky

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 8:54 pm 0 comments


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

Labels: C/2026 A1, comet, Kreutz, sun grazer

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 3:10 pm 0 comments

UPDATE: The comet did not survive: https://astroblogger.blogspot.com/2026/04/upate-comet-c2026-a1-maps-did-not.html


Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) in the STEREO H1 imager on 30 March. It's the faint streak at the bottom far right.	Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) in the SOHO LASCO C3 instrument on the 3rd of April. the "T" shaped head is an imaging artifact.

C/2026 A1 (MAPS) is a Kreutz family comet, one of a group of related comets that pass close to the sun. Everyone was very excited that it might become an extremely bright ("great") comet. However, it’s brightness increase stalled (everyone gasped) then started up again (everyone cheered), with what looked to be an eruption plume. As the comet neared the sun all eyes turned to solar monitoring satellites to follow its progress (and possible demise).

C/2026 A1 as seen in the GOES-19 CCOR1 instrument.

The comet has passed intact through the STEREO H1 imager (see above) and was in the field of view of the PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) satellite, It had a magnitude of 6.5 and a tail extending more than 3 degrees. It has now passed into the field of view of SOHO and the CCOR1 chronograph.

In both these imagers the comet continues to survive and brighten. It is now around magnitude 2-1, bright but a bit dimmer than the sungrazers C/2012 S1 (ISON) and C/2011 W3 (Lovejoy). and not dissimilar to C/2012 E2 (SWAN). SWAN disintegrated before it reached the sun, ISON disintegrated on its pass by the sun, Lovejoy survived solar passage then broke up shortly after.

Currently the two most likely outcomes are that the comet disintegrates before it reaches the sun (like comet SWAN) or it breaks up after perihelion and forms a “headless” comet like C/2011 (W3) Lovejoy. In the latter case we may see a bright tail stretching up from the horizon as twilight fades.

However, astronomer Pedro Rincon reports that MAPS is exhibiting "extremely high cohesion" and is "shedding thin layers from its volatile surface." This suggests there may be a possibility that the comet will survive perihelion. Fingers crossed it will survive after perihelion on the 4th.

If it does survive there is the possibility the comet head will be around -3 to -4 magnitude, (about as bright as Venus), but it will fade rapidly and may be difficult to distinguish against the twilight by the time it is above the horizon in Australia.

Western sky on the evening of Tuesday, April 7 as seen from Adelaide at 18:28 ACST (30 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). If it hasn't disintegrated, Comet C/2026 A1 may be visible low in the twilight.

C/2026 A1 perihelion is 4 April, the soonest we can see the comet head is probably the 6th or 7th depending on how bright it turns out to be. If there is a decent tail we should see it as the twilight fades, possibly as early at the 5th.

Look to the west, bright Venus will be your guide, the comet should be to the west and a bit below. As the twilight fades the comet and its tail may become more visible. As the days progress the comet gets higher, but it will also be dimming rapidly.

Spotters chart for C/2026 A1 (MAPS) looking west from Adelaide at civil twilight (30 minutes after sunset) from the 7th. The circle is the field of view of 10x50 binoculars. Click to embiggen. Elsewhere in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent local time (30 minutes after sunset).

Click this link for a printable black and white spotters chart.

We may see the tail in the late twilight, we may be in a C/2011 (W3) Lovejoy situation, where a bright, long headless tail was seen for a couple of days, or a C/2024 G3 Atlas situation, where a modest length but faint tail was visible in the late twilight for nearly a week, depending on how dusty the tail is. Either would be good.