Comet ISON approaching Sun, may be visible on Earth

Comet ISON, which was discovered a year ago, is making its first spin around the sun and will come the closest to the super-hot solar surface on Thursday at 1:37 p.m. EST.

In this screen shot, comet ISON, (left below Earth), approaches the sun on Monday. ISON, which was discovered a year ago, is making its first spin around the sun and will come the closest to the super-hot solar surface on Thursday at 1:37 p.m. EST.  AP Photo/NASA

There are three possible ways the comet could react to the sun's gravitational pull: it could survive, break up into chunks, or dissolve into dust. If one of the first two happens, viewers will be able to catch a glimpse.

It may take a few hours before astronomers know if the comet survived its brush with the sun. If it survives, and maybe even if it doesn’t, people in the Northern Hemisphere will have a good chance of seeing the comet — or its remains — in the first two weeks of December just before sunrise and after sunset.

It won’t be visible with the naked eye on Thursday, but NASA has a fleet of telescopes trained on ISON (EYE’-sahn).

Scientists say the comet -- named after the International Scientific Optical Network for near-Earth space surveillance -- left the outer edge of the solar system more than 5.5 million years ago.--Source: Wahington Post, Christian Science Monitor