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mfb- t1_j0ah6ex wrote

A star or star system as bright as Alpha Centauri passing the Sun at 0.2 light years outshines all other stars combined. It's almost certain some system passed closer than that at some point in the past, but we can't reconstruct it today.

If you count even shorter periods then a nearby supernova at some point in the past wins.

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Lustjej t1_j0m5o3d wrote

Could a comet also come close? Or is that unlikely

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mfb- t1_j0m7enb wrote

Sure, bright comets happen as well.

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