NASA Performs a Cosmic Autopsy on Comet ISON
The question remains as to whether the bright spot seen moving away from the sun was simply debris, or whether a small nucleus of the original ball of ice was still there.
Comet ISON, once hyped as the potential comet of the century, was “pronounced dead at a scientific conference Tuesday,” wrote the Associated Press.
The video below is a more detailed analysis of what happened, courtesy of NASA.
“There’s no doubt that the comet shrank in size considerably as it rounded the sun and there’s no doubt that something made it out on the other side to shoot back into space. The question remains as to whether the bright spot seen moving away from the sun was simply debris, or whether a small nucleus of the original ball of ice was still there. Regardless, it is likely that it is now only dust.”
Watch the video here:
