Comet ISON Might Have Survived the Fiery Encounter, Latest Observations Claim [VIDEO]

After the comet of the century, Comet ISON, completed a perilous and violent journey through the solar system, the scientists are currently investigating whether the icy visitor disintegrated during its tumultuous approach towards the Sun or somehow survived it.

On Nov.28, 2013, when Comet ISON made its closest encounter with the sun it was reported that the comet did not survive the meeting. But astronomers were baffled when a few space observatories noticed a peculiar object emerging from around the sun after the encounter. The scientists were puzzled whether the bright moving object was the debris of the comet or whether the small nucleus of ISON still existed.

"During this period of time, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory could not see the comet, leading many scientists to surmise that the comet had disintegrated completely. However, something did reappear in SOHO and STEREO coronagraphs some time later - though it was significantly less bright," NASA statement read.

During its closest approach to the sun, known as perihelion, the journey of the sun grazer was studied by many solar observatories that included NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, or STEREO, and the joint European Space Agency/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, or SOHO, via images called coronagraphs. The coronographs work by blocking the sun in order to better view the dim structure in the corona.

The status of the celestial object is still unclear and NASA scientists are continuing with their investigation. NASA strongly feels that the Hubble Space Telescope will greatly help in solving this mystery of whether the nucleus exists or not. If Hubble makes any such observations later in December 2013, the debate on Comet ISON will be fuelled again.

Comet ISON, discovered by Russian astronomers last year, has grabbed the attention of all space enthusiasts. ISON, which might have met its end on Nov. 28, lived a very unpredictable life. Scientists hope to study this comet of the century to gain a proper insight into the formation of ancient solar systems and the planets.

"The reason we study comet ISON to begin with is it's a relic," Carey Lisse, a senior research scientist with Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, said. "It's a dinosaur bone of solar system formation. You need comets in order to build the planets. This comet has been in a deep freeze half way to the next star for the last four and a half billion years. It's just been coming in over the last few millions years and possibly even started around the dawn of man."

The comet of the century was a significantly unique comet, something the scientists have not witnessed earlier.