This Demonstration shows how Comet ISON passes Mars on October 2, swings by the Sun on November 28, passes the Earth (at a distance of 40 million miles) on December 27, and then passes over the North Pole so that it will be near Polaris in the night sky around January 7.

The orbits of the Earth, Mars, Mercury, Venus, and the comet are drawn in blue, red, purple, green, and gray, respectively. The black line shows how far Comet ISON is above the orbital plane.