Comet set to fly past Earth coming closer than any other for more than 30 years

Comet P/2016 BA14 will whizz past Earth at 2.30pm today in the third closest flyby of a comet in recorded history

Rex

The smaller comet (not pictured) is thought to be a fragment of the larger one

The comet was spotted in January this year and is believed to be a fragment of a larger comet, 252P/LINEAR, which passed by the Earth yesterday morning.

The smaller of the two was initially feared to be a dangerous asteroid but when scientists looked closer, they discovered it has a tail, making it a comet.

Mr Chodas added: "Comet P/2016 BA14 is possibly a fragment of 252P/LINEAR. The two could be related because their orbits are so remarkably similar.

"We know comets are relatively fragile things, as in 1993 when comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 was discovered and its pieces linked to a flyby of Jupiter.

"Perhaps during a previous pass through the inner-solar system, or during a distant flyby of Jupiter, a chunk that we now know of as BA14 might have broken off of 252P."