Here we see the sungrazing comet known as Comet Lovejoy as it races in for its close encounter with the Sun on 15 December 2011, and as it miraculously comes back out again the next day. The long bright tail is thrown out by the solar wind at closest approach, and only the coma is initially visible after it re-emerges from behind the COR1 occulter. However, toward the end of the movie one can see the tail starting to reform.