The space boulder was almost entirely destroyed at perihelion

Nov 30, 2013 10:32 GMT  ·  By
SOHO images showing Comet ISON at perihelion, as well as how its core survived the close encounter
   SOHO images showing Comet ISON at perihelion, as well as how its core survived the close encounter

According to a new status update posted on the NASA website, it would appear that at least the core of Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) survived its close encounter with the Sun on Thursday, November 28. 

NASA, the European Space Agency, and many professional astronomers around the world declared Comet ISON dead after reaching its perihelion, its point of closest orbital approach to the Sun.

However, more recent data collected by the NASA/ESA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft have revealed that at least some parts of the cosmic object survived. It could be that what we now see is just the hardened nucleus of the former comet.

What is known for certain is that the bulk of the object was destroyed when it passed through the solar corona. The ice holding its rocks together melted away, and vast amounts of material fell into the Sun.

Even so, the zombie comet is now moving away from the star, and releasing a plume of dust and water yet again. What this suggests is that reaching perihelion did not destroy all of its ice reserves. At this point, astronomers are unsure as to how much longer the hardened nucleus will survive in space.