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Bruce Murray Space Image Library

Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS)

Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS)
Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) was captured in infrared light by the James Webb Space Telescope's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) on February 7, 2026. The image was taken by a team led by Qicheng Zhang and processed by Melina Thévenot. The comet was discovered just weeks earlier on January 13, 2026, by Alain Maury, Georges Attard, Daniel Parrott, and Florian Signoret through the MAPS survey in Chile's Atacama Desert. NASA, ESA, CSA, and the JWST MIRI team