Two comets will pass by Earth this week, and one will come close enough to break a 250-year record.
Comet P/2016 BA14 will still be a safe2.2 million miles away when it flies by on Tuesday, but it will take the record for the third-closest comet to Earth on record.
And there's another twist that's getting scientists excited. 252P/LINEAR, the bigger comet set to fly past Earth on Monday, might be related to P/2016 BA14 — as in twins.
Because 252P/LINEAR and P/2016 BA14 have a similar orbit, it could mean the two broke off from a larger comet or that P/2016 BA14 broke off from 252P/LINEAR.
Usually, comet parts burn up after breaking off. This pass-by means scientists could get the rare chance to study two pieces of a broken-off comet.
NASA says you'll likely only be able to view the pair with a telescope.
This video includes clips from NASA / JPL-Caltech, The Sky Live and NASA / ESA Hubble Space Telescope and an image from Paul Stewart / CC BY 2.0.
