Scientists Discover Rare Bright Comet Speeding Towards the Sun
On January 13, 2026, a possible large comet was discovered, and it will be passing very close to the Sun. It is expected to appear in the first week of April, and experts believe it could be part of the Kreutz family. Kreutz family comets are known as “sungrazers,” as their paths take them extremely close to the Sun. According to scientists, these comets are pieces of a single massive comet that broke apart centuries ago during a close encounter with the Sun. Now, each fragment follows a similar path. If confirmed, it will be an extraordinary experience as they return to the inner solar system only once every few hundred years.
Astronomer Piero Sicoli from the Sormano Astronomical Observatory in Italy identified the object. The comet has been named “6AC4721,” but it will receive an official name once its status has been confirmed. However, since it is expected to get confirmation soon, the official label of the comet will be C/2026 A1. It is currently listed on the Minor Planet Center’s “possible comet” confirmation page. Images have been collected using the LCO-SAAO LO9 35-cm reflector. A fuzzy cloud of material around it, called a coma, along with a small tail, can be seen.
This upcoming phenomenon is extremely exciting for the astronomical community, as they have been hoping to spot an object like this for many years. The closest recent example was Comet Lovejoy (C/2011 W3) in 2011, which put on a stunning show for observers in the Southern Hemisphere. However, it eventually broke apart after passing through the Sun and left behind what looked like a “headless” comet as it faded from view. The most famous Kreutz comet appeared before that in 1965, named Comet Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1), which lit up the sky with an incredible brightness of magnitude –10.
Early orbital calculations for 6AC4721 reveal that it is traveling on a steeply tilted path, inclined at around 144 degrees relative to the plane of the solar system. Kreutz family comets typically follow this extreme angle and follow highly elongated orbits that take them far out before plunging back toward the Sun. The comet is currently positioned in the southern constellation Caelum, which also points to an origin near Sirius.
However, the reason why it is more exciting is due to the comet’s current distance from the Sun. It is nearly 2 astronomical units away from the Sun, or twice the distance between Earth and the Sun. Previously, a Kreutz comet had never been discovered at such a great distance. This detection strongly suggests that the object is fairly large. It means that it has the potential to brighten the sky in the coming weeks. However, there is also a real chance the comet could fall apart as it approaches the Sun, especially if it passes very close. Many sungrazers do not survive, so their ultimate fate is uncertain.
Scientists have discovered with the help of “pre-covery” images that the comet was already visible in December 2025 at about magnitude +20. It is expected to make its closest approach towards the Sun on April 5, 2026, and at that point, the width of the comet will be that of the full Moon. The comet will also be visible in daylight if it brightens enough.
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