The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory SOHO is now getting views of Comet ISON within its field. SOHO is a collaboration between the European Space Agency ESA and NASA. Launched in 1995, SOHO is positioned at the L1 Lagrangian point 1.5 million miles toward the Sun from Earth. The central view of the optics has a disc to block the bright sunlight and allow unobstructed views of the solar neighborhood. Revisit this page in a few hours. This image should be updated to the most recent and show the advance of the comet. ISON is now moving at tremendous speed toward perihelion Thursday midday. It will pass less than 1,000,000 miles from the surface of the Sun. If it survives, we will see it re-emerge in this imagery. See this post for a unique viewing opportunity by the SDO spacecraft during perihelion.
For a movie version of the view below by the LASCO C3 camera, go here.
ISON will enter the higher resolution camera LASCO C2. The movie kiosk for C2 is here.
How I See It 
I’ve been watching this ALL morning! Seems we’ve spent the morning doing the same thing. 🙂
What a roller-coaster ride ISON is proving to be. Completely exciting, and I know I’ll be watching all day and tomorrow as well.
Hi. It is great fun, isn’t it. I hope we get a good thrill ride on the coaster. 🙂
Thanks for the links and updates! Is it possible to ‘like’ this again?!
Those are virtual likes. Just as valid. 🙂
I’d really like to see ISON make it around the bend, should be a stellar (har har) show.
Me, too. There are so many eyes and instruments trained on it. It’s going to be hard to choose.
I hope it is a stellar show. LOL
Found the page, updated now to 16:06. What absolutely amazing technology.
I’m always surprised when my years on the water suddenly manifest themselves. I looked at this image and thought, “It’s going to miss – leaving it to starboard.” I’d seen the image as a vessel, perhaps a fast crewboat heading to a platform. That tail surely does look like a wake…
It will be a near miss. I think calling it a wake is very apt. Good call. Come back again in a few hours. Or, try this…
http://1.usa.gov/1jIuzRS
There seems to be something missing in that link.
I was in too big of a hurry. That link is now fixed. Thanks for catching it.
I’m a good catcher. Maybe I missed my calling in baseball.
Reblogged this on Our View from Iowa.