david dundee is here to tell us, an astronomy program manager at the museum in cartersville, georgia. about this comet, what it is, and might we see it today? >> we won't. spacecraft might be able to view it. it's very close to the sun. earthbound viewers, you won't be able to see anything until probably wednesday. what makes today particularly important comet ison may or may not be the record breaker of comets passing the sun. comet in 1992 passed within 3 million miles of the sun. that was a really big deal. well, today comet ison passes about 600,000 miles from the surface of the sun. so they -- not only is the only thing roasting today is your turkey. the comet may be roasting today, too. >> for those of us that don't know, what is a comet? >> it's basically a frozen chunk of gas, water, sand, a few rocks. it's basically a very snowy dirt ball going around the sun. and it only acquires a tail when it gets close enough to the sun for the volatiles in the comet, the gases begin to sublimate, turn from solid into a gas. >> that's what you have in our demonstration, right? >> yes, let