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Photos: Comet ISON May Have Survived Its Blistering Encounter

A view from NASA shows the Comet ISON streaming toward the sun (right) then emerging from the other side, dimmed.
ESA/NASA/SOHO/Jhelioviewer
A view from NASA shows the Comet ISON streaming toward the sun (right) then emerging from the other side, dimmed.

The Comet ISON appears to have survived after disappearing and being thought dead. New NASA photos show the comet emerging from behind the sun smaller and dimmer, but still throwing a big light trail.

As we reported Thursday night, scientists first said there was a chance that the bright streak seen traveling away from the sun was just debris left after the comet blew apart. But after a late-night analysis, NASA now says the comet's nucleus — or a part of it — survived its brush with the sun and is continuing on its journey.

"This whole event has been a roller coaster ride," says Alex Young, a NASA solar physicist. He was hoping to get a wealth of data as the comet passed through the sights of the spaced-based Solar Dynamics Observatory.

The Comet ISON shows up as a white arrowhead traveling away from the sun. Observers thought ISON had disintegrated when it passed close to the sun, but now it seems some of the comet may have survived.
/ ESA/NASA/SOHO/GSFC
/
ESA/NASA/SOHO/GSFC
The Comet ISON shows up as a white arrowhead traveling away from the sun. Observers thought ISON had disintegrated when it passed close to the sun, but now it seems some of the comet may have survived.

"Even though we didn't see what we thought we were going to see, we still saw something new and exciting, and this is exactly why I do this stuff," Young says.

The comet's re-emergence has renewed hope among scientists and amateur star-gazers who wanted ISON to pass close to Earth and create a spectacular show in December's night skies.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

NPR correspondent Chris Arnold is based in Boston. His reports are heard regularly on NPR's award-winning newsmagazines Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. He joined NPR in 1996 and was based in San Francisco before moving to Boston in 2001.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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