ISON has suddenly brightened in an outburst of activity with just two weeks to go before it literally grazes the surface of the sun.
ISON is now in full outburst mode, becoming many times brighter over just the past few days. In just 72 hours, Comet ISON increased nearly 16 times in brightness.
Credits: Images taken by: James Foster, Bruce Gary, Mike Hankey, Massimo Russo & Antonella Privitera
Two comets to fly by Mercury.
Consider it a cosmic coincidence: On Nov. 18-19, two comets (ISON and Encke) are going to fly by the planet Mercury in quick succession. NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft will have a front-row seat for the rare double flyby.
The comet Ison may continue to brighten as the outburst is still in its early stages. Whether this outburst will be a short-lived event or the beginning of a more active phase is still to be seen. space.com , scienceatnasa