Comet ISON to Circle Sun, Die Violently or Survive for a Sky Show
Astronomers say
As Comet ISON hurtles toward the sun, its million-year-long journey through our solar system may end with its violent death — or a spectacular sky show.
On Thanksgiving, when the comet rounds the sun, professional and amateur astronomers alike will await ISON's fate with bated breath. Its tail may get ripped off by a cloud of solar particles, or the sun's brutal radiation and pressure may demolish it completely.