Summary: The comet ISON, or a portion of it, is now thought to have survived its
close encounter with the sun. Scientists say that it is throwing off
dust and (supposedly) gas. But they're not sure how long it will last.
It went 730,000 miles over the sun on Thursday. Comets are made up of
frozen gases, rocks, and dust, and can be up to several miles wide. When
they are warmed, they develop tails of gas and dirt. Comets are not
typically in our part of the solar system. Scientists take opportunities
such as this one to study comets, hopefully finding clues about how our
solar system formed. ISON was discovered last year with a telescope in
Russia. Scientists hoped it would survive its encounter with the sun and
give off an even larger dust trail than usual. Earlier on Thursday,
NASA had practically declared it dead, but other scientists refused to
give up hope. The discovery that it had apparently survived led many to
nickname it "the zombie comet".
Analysis: I find it fascinating that the comet survived the intense heat of the
sun. It makes me wonder what exactly it consisted of. ISON is a type of
comet called a "Sungrazing comet", since it traveled so close to the
sun. Scientists will probably be able to learn a lot from this unusual
event. We'll have to wait and see what further things they discover
about it. It may actually reach a point where it becomes so bright that
it can be seen with the naked eye. Hearing about things like this makes
me want to grab a telescope and see if I can catch a glimpse of it-
although I doubt anything I have access to would be powerful enough to
spot it in its current state.
For the full story visit, http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/29/us/ison-comet/index.html?hpt=us_c2
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