Comet to brush past Earth in one of closest flybys ever

Only two other comets in recorded history have come as close as P/2016 BA14, which will be too small to be visible with the naked eye

The comet might have broken off another, more distant one

One of the closest ever comets is about to fly past Earth.

The rock, known as comet P/2016 BA14, will skim past us at a distance of only 2.2 million miles. That makes it the third closest encounter with a comet in recent history.

It is beaten only by comet D/1770 L1, which flew past in 1770, and comet C/1983 H1’s 1983 flyby.

The rock is incredibly close, in comet terms. But it is also relatively small, meaning that it will be impossible to see it with the naked eye.

Instead, actually spotting the comet will require powerful, professional grade telescopes, said Nasa.

And despite its proximity, there is absolutely no threat from the comet — and it actually presents a neat opportunity, according to Paul Chodas, the manager of NASA's Center of NEO Studies at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

"March 22 will be the closest comet P/2016 BA14 gets to us for at least the next 150 years," said Chodas in a statement. "Comet P/2016 BA14 is not a threat. Instead, it is an excellent opportunity for scientific advancement on the study of comets."

It will fly past about 2.30PM UK time on 22 March.

The comet might also be related to another rock that flew past slightly further away on 21 March — some scientists have suggested that BA14 might have broken off the larger, earlier rock at some point during its journey around the galaxy. Scientists will use their observations of both to attempt to learn more about whether or not they are twins.