Comet ISON Did Not Survive Its Vacation Around the Sun

Everyone on NASA's special Thanksgiving Google hangout announced the death of Comet ISON after it traveled around the sun, much to our dismay. The comet's remnants can now be seen breaking on through to the other side. 

"It's not looking good for ISON in my opinion," Slate's Phil Plait said during NASA's Google hangout on Thursday, where a bunch of space-cases gathered to watch the Comet ISON, make its first and possibly only trip around the sun. "That's kind of my assessment too," added astrophysicist Karl Battams, the head of NASA’s Comet ISON Observing Campaign. ISON travelled dangerously close to the star, and many didn't expect it to survive. If it came out the other side, the comet was going to travel close enough to earth to give puny humans quite the show this December. 

Only a few hours later, new evidence emerged suggesting the scientists were premature to pronounce ISON dead: 

@CometISONnews @PeoplesAstro @VirtualAstro Just enhanced this. pic.twitter.com/5yW4qqdqNB

— John Maclean FRAS (@AstroExeter) November 28, 2013

ISON: There *was* a kilometer or 2 of rock & ice there beforehand; maybe the Sun didn't get all of it. We'll see. pic.twitter.com/6av6md6681

— Amy Mainzer (@AmyMainzer) November 28, 2013

Now that is definitely moving! @CometISONnews @NickAstronomer @VirtualAstro pic.twitter.com/0QwZmgA6SK

— John Maclean FRAS (@AstroExeter) November 28, 2013

This wasn't the first time scientists thought ISON died. Just this week, there were signs the comet broke up during its approach towards the sun. Miraculously, it survived and NASA didn't cancel its holiday party. 

But what these astrologists are seeing is merely what remains of ISON as it travels through the sun's orbit. A comet is just a collection of rock and gravel held together by ice (and magic, too, right?) hurtling through space. Like humans, when a comet breaks up the result isn't necessarily neat and tidy. 

Breaking up is hard to do. Like Icarus, #comet #ISON may have flown too close to the sun. We will continue to learn. http://t.co/caP9J4lqmy

— NASA (@NASA) November 28, 2013

But still, spaaaace, maaaaan: 

 

A mountain-sized lump of ice and rock was just entirely evaporated by our Sun. And we got to sit back & watch the view. Isn't space awesome?

— Hugh Osborn (@HughO2) November 28, 2013

A holiday lesson: the sun always wins.