Comet ISON passes Mars on its inbound journey toward the Sun.
This was the scene on the morning of October 8, 2013, with Comet ISON (top), still small and faint, passing the planet Mars, the bright object at bottom. The comet was actually close to Mars in space in addition to appearing close to Mars in our sky.
Comet ISON is the much-heralded “comet of the century,” but so far has failed to live up to expectations. It may never become visible to the unaided eye. Or it could blossom into a dawn spectacle after it rounds the Sun on November 28.
Only time, and the vagaries of comets, will tell.
This image is a stack of five 5-minute exposures with a 92mm aperture refractor and Canon 5D MkII at ISO 1600.
– Alan, October 8, 2013 / © 2013 Alan Dyer
The Amazing Sky 
Congratulations Alan on recording ISON, especially with Mars in the same field.
With 444 mm aperture I made a visual sighting on the morning of October 5, and ISON is faint! I estimated it to be about magnitude 11.6 , esay to see if it were a star, but difficult for a diffuse comet.
Roy