Amateur astronomers in Antibes discover new comet

A group of amateur astronomers in Antibes has gained international attention after discovering a new comet.

The comet, officially designated C/2026 A1 MAPS, was confirmed by the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams, the international body responsible for recording new celestial objects. The discovery was made by Alain Maury, Denis Huber, Patrick Attard and Paul Parrott, members of a local astronomy group working under the MAPS research programme.

Although the team comprises amateur rather than professional astronomers, its work is widely recognised within the scientific community. Since launching in 2020, the MAPS programme has submitted regular observations to the Minor Planet Center and has already identified hundreds of asteroids and several comets.

This latest find is notable for how early it was detected – around 82 days before the comet’s closest approach to the Sun, at a distance of approximately 300 million kilometres. That unusually long observation window has given astronomers around the world time to follow its evolution.

“We were faster than NASA,” said Denis Huber, vice-president of the Antibes Astronomy Club, Groupe d’Astronomie Populaire de la Région d’Antibes (GAPRA), who credits the success to a combination of smart technology and persistence rather than large budgets. 

While space agencies rely on vast installations, the Antibes team uses four telescopes installed in Chile by Alain Maury, funded largely through a grant from the Planetary Society.

Data from those telescopes is processed using specialist software based on a technique known as synthetic tracking, which allows moving objects to be detected more efficiently. Mr Huber said this gives the group “a great deal of flexibility” despite its relatively modest equipment.

The comet belongs to the Kreutz group, a family thought to originate from the fragmentation of a giant comet that passed close to the Sun more than 2,000 years ago. Some members of the Kreutz group have produced spectacular displays, including Comet Ikeya-Seki in 1965, which was visible in daylight.

Mr Huber cautioned that comets are unpredictable and can change rapidly as they approach the Sun.

There is no risk to Earth, he stressed. The comet’s path brings it close to the Sun, where it may partially disintegrate, but it poses no danger to our planet.

Looking ahead, the Antibes team has a clear plan for the coming weeks. “Our next steps are refining its trajectory, observing the formation and development of the comet’s tail, and taking some beautiful final photos when it is close to the Sun,” Mr Huber said.

The discovery has generated strong excitement within the group. “There is great excitement,” he added. “This comet is particularly exceptional and will be studied by the world’s leading scientific programmes.”

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