 Comet Hyakutake ( Japanese pronunciation : [ çʲakɯ ̥ take ] , formally designated C / 1996 B2 ) is a comet , discovered on 31 January 1996 , that passed very close to Earth in March of that year . It was dubbed The Great Comet of 1996 ; its passage near the Earth was one of the closest cometary approaches of the 20th century. Unterscheidung zwischen „Comet“ und „Komet“: „Comet“ ist die englische Bezeichnung für einen Kometen, „Komet“ die deutsche.
Comet Hyakutake ( 1996 B2) is a comet discovered on January