SUNSET: 
0
Photographer:
Mike Olason
Location of Photo:
Tucson, Arizona
Date/Time of photo:
2026 March 12, 0244UT
Equipment:
50mm f/5 Refractor and IMX462 camera
Description:
Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) became much brighter this past week as it moves towards perihelion in its orbit on April 4 when it will try to survive passing about 99,000 miles above the surface of the Sun. The comet is now magnitude 11.2 with a coma 3.5 arc minutes wide in these images. During its close approach to the Sun, it may become brighter than Venus but will be difficult for Earthlings to observe due to how close it is to the Sun. If it survives the Sun's heat, it will appear extremely low in the west below Venus in bright twilight just after the Sun sets April 5 and may be visible to the naked eye if it is bright enough to see in the very bright twilight. After April 5 the comet will move farther from the Sun each evening into our twilight skies but will also start to get fainter.
