We have nothing to fear from the incoming Comet ISON, no matter how the icy object behaves during its much-anticipated close approach to the sun this November, scientists say.

Comet ISON will miss Earth by many millions of miles during its swing through the inner solar system — and so will its bits and pieces, if the comet happens to break apart along the way.

"During a breakup, comet fragments don't fly off in different directions like shards in a cinematic explosion," explains a new Comet ISON video released by the operators of NASA's famous Hubble Space Telescope. "They break off but continue to travel along the path of their parent body. So any pieces would remain far from us, millions of kilometers away."

[link to www.nbcnews.com]

[link to discovermagazine.com]