Two Comets Will Pass Close to Earth

Night time sky watchers in the Northern Hemisphere may soon be treated to quite a show.

P/2016 BA14 passed by the Earth on March 21 at 9:15 a.m. at only 3.2 million miles. That may sound like a lot of miles, but from an astronomical standpoint, it's close. In fact, it's the fifth closest comet flyby in recorded history.

Up until now, the comet has been visible only in the Southern Hemisphere. Researchers say this will change. The rapidly brightening comet should be visible in the Northern Hemisphere till about early April.

Another, and possibly related, comet named P/2016 BA14 will pass closest to the Earth on March 22. According to Sky and Telescope, P/2016 BA14 will cross the sky near from Canis Major to Ursa Major in just seven nights, but you're going to need a telescope to spot it.

It's been 246 years since a comet passed this close to Earth.

You can watch a broadcast of P/2016 BA14 here.

Skies across the Hudson Valley are expected to be partly cloudy Monday night. This could be the best opportunity for viewing, especially if you are far away from any city lights. Both Tuesday and Wednesday nights however are expected to be cloudy, so that could spoil any chance to view any comets.