Comet ISON |

By NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/opo1331a/) [Public domain]

Composite image of Comet ISON taken from the Hubble Space Telescope in April 2013

The astronomy world has been following the progress of Comet ISON for the past few months. First spotted over a year ago at the outer reaches of the solar system, it will pass within 1.16m km of the sun's surface on November 28 – so close that NASA calls it a sungrazing comet.

Scientists don't know whether it will survive the radiation and pressure associated with passing so close to the sun. But if it does, they predict that this comet will be very bright and, with its long tail, will be visible to the naked eye in December and January. Amateur stargazers are already observing its progress with telescopes and binoculars and are taking stunning photos.

The NASA website has a Comet ISON page with the latest news and images, as well as a timeline for the comet's journey with an excellent video about sungrazing comets.

Observing guides for ISON recommend when and where to look for the comet.

Here are some examples of the books and DVDs about comets available at the Toronto Public Library: