Last night, astronomers were glued to screens to find out what became of Comet ISON as it 'slingshotted' around the Sun. Initial reports were not encouraging, with many scientists - using special solar telescopes and monitoring tools to see if the celestial body survived the extreme temperatures, solar radiation and gravity it experienced - stating they couldn't see the comet or even the remnants of its tail as it exited the inferno.

While organisations such as NASA had repeatedly stated they'd still be able to gather valuable data about ISON's composition whether or not it survived its close encounter, many astronomers had been hoping it emerged intact: it would have been viewable in the sky as it passed by Earth next month.

It seems all may not be lost, however. While it seems certain that ISON was catastrophically damaged, some portion of the 'Comet of the Century' seems to have survived. As described by Space Weather, "Comet ISON flew through the sun's atmosphere on Nov. 28th and the encounter did not go well for the icy comet. Just before perihelion (closest approach to the sun) the comet rapidly faded and appeared to disintegrate. This prompted reports of ISON's demise. However, a fraction of the comet has survived."

A video posted by NASA shows that some fragment of ISON indeed survived, albeit burning significantly less bright than before. Scientists will now be researching the huge amount of data they've managed to gather from ISON's trip, and will be hoping to understand what exactly caused the break-up (as well as what exactly has emerged from perihelion). Alas, given the early evidence, it seems as if the comet will no longer be visible in the night sky in December. 

Check out the video below for a look at ISON's journey and partial demise:

Image Credit: ESA/NASA/SOHO