Twin comets to buzz Earth. Why scientists are excited, not worried.
Two comets will safely fly past Earth next week, giving scientists the chance to determine whether they used to be parts of the same comet.
Astronomers are breaking out the telescopes, metaphoric measuring tapes, and record books for a close visit from two comets next week.
Comets 252O/Linear and P/2016 BA 14 will offer a rare view for scientists as they fly by Earth just one day apart, and only a few million miles away.
The first comet, 252P/LINEAR, will travel past Earth on March 21 at a distance of 3.3 million miles, which is very close on a planetary scale. But the second, P/2015 BA14, could be the record breaker: as it comes within 2.2 million miles of Earth on March 22, it could become the third-closest comet to approach Earth in recorded history.
But don't start digging a comet shelter. Despite the record-setting proximity, most on Earth would still need a professional grade telescope to see either comet, according to NASA.
“March 22 will be the closest comet P/2016 BA14 gets to us for at least the next 150 years," said Paul Chodas, manager of NASA's Center of NEO Studies (CNEOS) at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in the press release. "Comet P/2016 BA14 is not a threat. Instead, it is an excellent opportunity for scientific advancement on the study of comets."
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