Comet Lovejoy Survives Fiery Plunge Through Sun, NASA Says

Space.com via Yahoo News ^ | 16 Dec 2011 | Mike Wall

[edpc]

A newfound comet defied long odds on Thursday (Dec. 15), surviving a suicidal dive through the sun's hellishly hot atmosphere, according to NASA scientists.

Comet Lovejoy plunged through the sun's corona at about 7 p.m. EST (midnight GMT on Dec. 16), coming within 87,000 miles (140,000 kilometers) of our star's surface. Temperatures in the corona can reach 2 million degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 million degrees Celsius), so most researchers expected the icy wanderer to be completely destroyed.

[edpc]

But Lovejoy proved to be made of tough stuff. A video taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) spacecraft showed the icy object emerging from behind the sun and zipping back off into space.

Lovejoy conquers all.

[edpc]

I guess the “snowball’s chance in hell” expression has lost some of it’s former luster.

[The_Victor]

If the comet survived, I’m pretty sure it didn’t go “through” the sun.

[PfromHoGro]

While wickedly “hot”, the corona’s density is too light to transmit heat to such a large mass.

[edpc]

Headline is a bit misleading. It went through the outer portion, the corona, supposedly. Then again, they may be wrong about that as well.

[pfflier]

A popular scientific dictum about space climate was wrong? Wait for the emails to be leaked!!

[ZX12R]

I wonder now, what is it that is left, after passing so close to the surface of the sun? Also, how was it's trajectory affected? Pretty amazing stuff.

Here's a cool video I found this morning:

click

[DonaldC]

Maybe it was refueling, like on stargate universe...hehe

[Deaf Smith]

The comet must have taken some of those fire walking classes.

[wally_bert]

Lovejoy did some time in the nick if I remember right so he had to be tough and conquer plus make a few quid on art..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIE7a0JzXD0

[edpc]

Not to mention......it’s a fairly crappy and overrated beer.

[djf]

It’s... It’s... Its’.... SOLAR WARMING!!! WE’RE FN DOOMED!!

[IMR 4350]

THE SUN IS COOLING WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!

Oh, and it’s Bush’s fault.

[Jeff Chandler]

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[Azeem]

The coment went back in time to find a dodo bird and repopulate the species.

[stayathomemom]

Very good!

[oh8eleven]

But Lovejoy proved to be made of tough stuff.
I'll bet it wasn't as tough as this Lovejoy ...

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Yep, I think “corona” got chopped out of that sentence.

[Charles Henrickson]

Comet Lovejoy plunged through the sun's corona at about 7 p.m. EST (midnight GMT on Dec. 16). . . .

Well, that's it. The comet went at night and in mid-December. Naturally it's going to be cooler.

[JRios1968]

Somebody THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!