Comet ISON's two tails are a sign that the comet is drawing closer, and closer, to the sun that binds it in orbit. It'll be closest to the sun on November 28.
This reversal happens every 11 years and is tied to the sun's cycle of activity, now near its peak. The effects of the reversal will ripple throughout the solar system.
Low wind shear and warm ocean temperatures exist in the Pacific now. That's why Haiyan grew into one of the strongest - perhaps the strongest - storm ever recorded.
Deborah Byrd (asteroid 3505 Byrd) helps edit EarthSky.org and is a frequent host of EarthSky videos. Deborah created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named in her honor in 1990, a Public Service Award from the National Science Board in 2003, and the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society in 2020. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.