P/2016 BA14 (PanSTARRS)
P/2016 BA14 (PanSTARRS) is a near-Earth object and periodic comet of the Jupiter family, that was radar imaged at distance of 2.2 million miles (3.5 million km, or 9 lunar distances) during a flyby of Earth in 2016.[1] This enabled the size of the nucleus to be calculated at about 1 km (0.62 mi) in diameter.[1][2] Four noted aspects to P/2016 BA14 are that it was discovered as an asteroid first, it was much bigger than expected going from perhaps 125 meters to 1000 meters, it was the closest approach by a comet since 1770, and finally, it has a very similar orbit as numbered comet 252P/LINEAR, and may be related to it (e.g. split off of).
The object had a unique history in that when it was discovered in January 2016 by a Pan-STARRS telescope, it was thought to be an asteroid and went by a provisional minor planet designation 2016 BA14 .[3] Astronomer Denis Denisenko noted the body's orbit was very similar to 252P/LINEAR, which led to a follow up observation by the Lowell Discovery Telescope.[3] The body showed a tail, identifying it as a probable comet and then named P/2016 BA14 .[3]
The similarity of the orbits of P/2016 BA14 and 252P/LINEAR suggested that P/2016 BA14 may have split off from 252P/LINEAR.[4]
