In 1910, people were afraid that the return of Halley's comet after its regular 76 year loop that it might come too close to the earth and collide or that its tail might brush the atmosphere with poison gas and either way, all life on earth could be lost.
It didn't happen in 1910 or 1986, and the next time Halley returns will be in 2062.
It did happen before. Many scientists and astronomers believe that an asteroid or a comet struck the Earth 66 million years ago and that it caused the extinction of thousands of species including the dinosaurs who dominated the earth.
It happened recently. In 1992 Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 broke apart. In 1994, fragments of the comet collided with the planet Jupiter, ringing it like a bell, causing widespread damage and leaving large scars on the giant planet.
So here we have presented two possible scenarios for 2062. The comet scrapes the atmosphere and causes fiery destruction, or it creates a dreamy light show in the sky. Which will it be?