COMET LOVEJOY SURVIVES: Incredibly, sungrazing Comet Lovejoy appears to have survived its close encounter with the sun. Lovejoy flew only 140,000 km over the stellar surface during the early hours of Dec. 16th. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory caught the comet emerging from perihelion (closest approach). Click on the image to play an amazing movie: Comet Lovejoy began the week as a chunk of dusty, rocky ice some 200 meters in diameter. No one can say how much of the comet's core remains intact or how long it will hang together after the searing heat of perihelion. Another movie from SDO hints at the rough treatment this comet has endured. Stay tuned for more movies! |