252p 20160302 jchambo

Object/Date:
252P/LINEAR & P/2016 BA14 (PANSTARRS) @ Mar.2,2016

Description:
Comets 252P/LINEAR and P/2016 BA14 (PANSTARRS) imaged on March 2nd 2016, separated by only 1.5 degrees seem very differents: the 252P with a enormous and greenish gassy envelope while the 2016-BA14 is just a tiny mote between stars, nonetheless the similitude of its orbits seem reveal that really are fragments of a unique comet. Both are approaching to Earth, being its minimum distance 0.0036 and 0.0016 AU between March 21 and 22 (14 and 9 times the lunar distance). Between comets can be viewed the spiral galaxy NGC 2090.

Tech data:
Takahashi FSQ ED 106mm. f/5.0 & SBIG STL-11000M (L:2×240s bin1 + RGB:1x60s Bin2, cropped) remotely from Siding Spring, 

NSW (Australia)