SOHO Spacecraft Views Comet Plunging Toward the Sun

The images that make up this animation were acquired by SOHO's LASCO instrument. It consists of three telescopes that employ a solid disk, called an “occulter,” to cover up the Sun. This blocks direct sunlight, thereby allowing the Sun’s dimmer corona — it’s extended atmosphere — to be seen. The occulter also enables us to see the comet as it gets close to the Sun.