Day 13 of the 2013 Hubble Space Telescope Advent Calendar, one of 25 photos eventually. Comet ISON, before it broke apart as it rounded the Sun. Here, ISON floats against a seemingly infinite backdrop of numerous galaxies and a handful of foreground stars. Discovered in 2012, the tiny ball of ice and rock (about 2 km in diameter), hurtled toward the Sun for a very close visit – passing approximately 1,165,000 km (724,000 mi) above the Sun’s surface at a relative speed of 1,359,900 kph (845,000 mph). The speed, gravitational forces, and extreme radiation were too much for ISON, which broke apart as it passed behind our star. (NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team, STScI/AURA)

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