Comet ISON's Moment of Truth

Astrophotographer Damian Peach captured this view of Comet ISON and its complicated tail on November 15. The field of view is 2.5°, five times the width of the full moon (Credit: Damian Peach) Today is make-or-break time for Comet ISON as it reaches perihelion, the point closest to the sun. At 1:25PM EST the comet will zoom just 730,000 miles above the solar surface, traveling at a speed of about 225,000 miles per hour. You can track the comet's progress live here. What happens during that passage will determine a lot about what the comet will look like in the next few weeks. Will it be a faint smear or a bright fuzzball with a long, lingering tail? Will it fizzle entirely? We are about to find out. Depending on the comet (and also depending on your skills as an observer and your local weather conditions) you might actually be ...