How Much of ISON Survived Its Closest Approach To the Sun? 84
A reader writes "This Ars Technica article examines what may be left of ISON and contains a detailed animated GIF from the NASA STEREO Ahead spacecraft. 'It looks like comet ISON, or most of it, did not survive its encounter with the Sun yesterday, when it made a close approach at just 1.2 million kms from that fiery surface. This distance may seem large, but it is close enough to have subjected the comet to temperatures of around 2,700C. To survive such a close shave with the Sun may sound unlikely, but a few other sungrazing comets have managed the feat during even closer passes. So some people hoped ISON would perform a death-defying stunt and emerge intact. ISON did not leave us without a final serving of mystery though. Soon after reaching its nearest point to the Sun (known as perihelion), there was no sign of it emerging afterwards. Twitter and news agencies were alight, lamenting its loss and assuming it disintegrated—RIP ISON. But then, moments later, new images emerged showing a hint of something appearing on the other side of the Sun. Was this still a diminished comet ISON or a ghostly version of its former self? Well, even comet experts are not sure.'"
Maybe they should look for it (Score:5, Funny)
No Hale Bopp "Koolaide" rerun? Rats! (Score:5, Funny)
So many idiots, so few comets.
JSON? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Someone must have forgotten to tell me ... (Score:4, Funny)
Ri Gong Tai Yang Xing Jun in Chinese mythology is "Grandfather Sun"
Re:i-Phone, i-Pad (Score:4, Funny)
iSon may have survived a close encounter with the intense heat of the Sun . . . but it won't survive the intense heat of Apple's IP lawyers.