Right now, the best views of the comet are coming from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). Click here to view a 27-hour movie of ISON approaching the sun.
Researchers have been wondering what might happen if a CME strikes Comet ISON. They might find out before the day is over. As the movie shows, CMEs are billowing away from the sun in all directions. Avoiding a collision will become increasingly difficult as the comet moves closer to active regions on the sun's surface.
During the hours around closest approach, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) will take high-resolution pictures of the comet flying through the sun's atmosphere. This diagram illustrates the sequence of events:
Stay tuned for live images of perihelion (closest approach to the sun) beginning around 12:45 p.m. EST.
www.spaceweather.com