March 26, 2022
On this date in 1996, the comet Hyakutake made its closest approach to Earth, passing just 0.1 AU away. This comet was discovered on January 31, 1996 and passed by Earth only a few months later. One of the most surprising discoveries made during this approach was the emission of X-rays, which had never been detected from a comet before.
Comet Hyakutake appeared as one of the brightest objects in the sky during its approach. Even with the naked eye, Comet Hyakutake appeared bluish-green in color. Image credit: E. Kolmhofer, H. Raab; Johannes-Kepler-Observatory, Linz, Austria