The Solar Astronomy Laboratory of IKI and ISZF SB RAS reported the death of comet C/2026 A1. According to observations by astrophysicists, the object was absorbed by the Sun — volatile substances dissipated in the corona, and large fragments probably fell on the surface. The probability of such a scenario was initially estimated at a fraction of a percent, but the comet did not survive.
C/2026 A1 belonged to the Kreutz family — fragments of a giant comet that disintegrated millennia ago. Its age is comparable to the age of the Solar System: 5 billion years. The brightness turned out to be lower than predicted — contrary to expectations, a flash at the level of the full Moon did not occur.
One of the tour operators was selling trips to Africa for hundreds of thousands of rubles to observe the comet after it emerged from behind the Sun, aggressively criticizing scientists. Since the comet burned up, the tours did not take place.
Now the brightest comet in the sky is C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS) with a brightness of only the third magnitude — it is not interesting for visual observation. We have to wait for the next guest.