Comet ISON, nicknamed the comet of the century, flew from remote regions of the solar system. This “dirty ice ball” attracted the attention of earthlings who watched with interest the trajectory of his journey.
A photo from open sources
It was originally discovered by Russian astronomers in 2012 with using the International Scientific Optical Network (International Scientific Optical Network or ISON), in whose honor and was given name of the comet. But on Thursday November 28th, 2013 when the facility approached the Sun, scientists and amateur astronomers considered it disintegrated due to the gravitational impact of our luminaries. However, the results of the latest analyzes and observations show that perhaps we are dealing with the present Phoenix comet: even after losing most of her body, she continues to travel the solar system, and in the coming weeks the inhabitants of the northern hemisphere of the Earth will be able to see it again in the sky with the naked eye. “Analysis of the light emanating from Comet ISON, will show whether only dust and gas are left from it, or is it a significant part of its core continues its flight, “says comet expert Gerhard Schwehm from European space agency.
The fate of comet ISON is still unclear, but it is already turned astronomers’ ideas about this kind of space objects. According to a NASA press release, this is the first ice the heavenly body, and perhaps the only one that flew by from the very borders of the solar system to its red-hot center. Scientists for the first time exploring a comet that has come so close to the sun. ISON has been watched throughout this time. solar satellites. According to the pictures, she represents (or was) a whole core of ice and dust, behind which stretched wide dust tail and narrow tail of ionized substances. The same satellites showed that under the influence of radiation and gravity of the sun, ISON has split into several parts, which literally flattened. The analysis of light reflected from a comet was carried out using NASA STEREO, the pictures of which showed blackouts in the area where the comet was located. Further astronomers observed using the “Solar Observatory dynamics “(SDO), but the telescope did not see the comet at all. Then Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) recorded a small flare in the opposite hemisphere of the sun just at the point where the comet should be, if not tore to shreds.
A photo from open sources
SOHO spacecraft recorded a small flash on opposite to the hemisphere of the sun just at the point where it should be a comet if it is not torn to shreds (photo ESA / NASA / SOHO / Jhelioviewer).
“Is there anything significant left from the comet’s nucleus, we will be determined in the coming days, “says astrophysicist Karl Battams (Karl Battams) from the Navy Research Laboratory USA. The uniqueness of Comet ISON makes it very challenging not to only predicting her future fate, but also establishing her origin. Most scientists, however, are sure that millions years ago she was knocked out of the “comet reservoir” located far beyond the orbit of Pluto.
There are also very few analogies for this comet. Scientists are comparing ISON unless with comet Lovejoy, which was observed at Christmas 2011 year. This object also circled the Sun at a distance of 120 thousand kilometers above its surface, after which it flew past the Earth. If it turns out that ISON fell into pieces, then her, rather total will be compared with the comet of Ikea – Seki flying through starry sky in 1965 and falling apart when approaching The sun.
Astronomers say that the likelihood that ISON survived or split up, approximately equal. For this, at NASA they nicknamed her a comet. Schrödinger, by analogy with a living and dead cat, symbol of quantum physics. The distance to the sun was only 1.2 million kilometers, in addition, the comet has extremely small in size – only about a kilometer in diameter, which makes it extremely fragile. One way or another, ISON has already become a champion of its kind: it’s the most observed comet in history.
NASA Sun Solar System SOHO
