March 2016 turns out to be the month of great celestial events. Two comets – comet 252P/LINEAR 12 and Comet P/2016 BA14 (PANSTARRS) – will make record-breaking Earth flybys with the passage of PANSTARRS being the closest known comet flyby of the last 230 hundred years.

On March 21 2016, Comet 252P/LINEAR 12 will make its closest approach yet, passing just 3.1 million miles (5.3 million km) away from Earth. On March 22 2016, Comet P/2016 BA14 (PANSTARRS) is set to pass by Earth at a distance of 2.1 million miles (3.5 million km). This is a record-breaking approach to Earth for a comet as it will be the closest known comet flyby of the last 230 hundred years. READ MORE