Look Up: Astronomers Thrilled About Double Comet Flyby

You do not want to miss this epic scene, a historic double flyby of comets towards Earth this week. The bigger comet, called 252P/LINEAR, measures 750 feet and is expected to approach the Earth on March 21, 5:14 a.m. PDT, surrounded by cloud of emerald green gas. At this time, the comet will be approximately 3.3 million miles from Earth.

Expect to see another comet, P/2016 BA14, flyby at 7.30 a.m. PDT. This one will approach closer, flying within 2.2 million miles of our planet. These two instances will make the closest flyby to our planet since 1770. It is also only the second time in history that a comet has flown so close past the Earth.

"There are many more asteroids in near-Earth space than comets, which are significantly more rare," said Michael Kelley, an astronomer at the University of Maryland. "When a comet does come this close to Earth it is something to get excited about, and take advantage of to learn whatever we can."

As the comet flies towards the sun, it grows brighter and thus possible to be witnessed with naked eyes. However, the comet will be too far in the south to be visible to someone in the northern hemisphere, even when it is at its closest approach.

Experts also add that the smaller comet, P/2016 BA14 is too small and may never be able to grow bright enough to be spotted with a naked eye. It would need a telescope to see this one.

The live video of the comets zipping past the Earth can be seen online at the astronomy website, The Virtual Telescope, that will air two live broadcasts on Mar 21 and 22.

According to a Russian astronomer from Moscow State University, Denis Denisenko, the smaller comet, P/2016 BA14 had a strikingly similar orbit to 252P/LINEAR. He further pondered if it is possible for the two comets to be related somehow.

Scott Kelley of NASA and Michael Knight, colleague at the University of Maryland, saw Denisenko's post and were equally fascinated.

"What are the chances of such an unusual comet and a random asteroid having a similar orbit and Earth close approach?" Kelley wrote on his blog in February. "Probably very small! A lot of suspicion was starting to be cast on this so-called asteroid."