about 3 million tons of material a second. and so that's one of the reasons, you know -- >> this must have been really big to start. >> it started out as something about two or three miles across. so it's losing material now. it's losing its outer surface. it's under great stress. it's changing direction. it's being hurled around the sun. >> if it makes it, that's the big if, and that's what we're waiting to see. if it makes it, when will we be able to see it, a, and b, will it be a naked eye viewing or do i need a telescope? >> right, so nasa will probably have some nice images with their spacecraft over the next 24 hours. earth-bound observers will probably have to wait a couple days for it to get out from the glare of the sun. as far as the amateur with a telescope or binocular, i'm guessing by wednesday or thursday. >> that soon? >> yeah, it will probably turn out in the predawn sky, about an