Hubble captures preview of comet that could upstage moon

Dan Vergano | USATODAY

A comet headed for a starring role in the nighttime sky later this year has gotten a sneak peek from NASA's Hubble space telescope.

Too dim to see with the naked eye for now, Comet ISON may bloom brighter than the full moon in November, according to the space agency. But this early view from the Hubble telescope offers a glimpse of the comet ahead of schedule.

About as far from the sun as the planet Jupiter, the comet is now headed toward the sun at 47,000 mph, its 3- to 4-mile-wide core heated by the sun to produce a tail. When it returns from its zip around the sun later this year, it will be much brighter in the nighttime sky, perhaps earning a "comet of the century" title, the space agency suggests.