UNLIKE Comet Lawson, who seems in danger of burning out very soon, it looks as if Comet Ison has survived and may still be visible to the unaided eye this month.
Both have had to endure some pretty hurtful sledging. The Sun leapt on Charles Saatchi's now famous e-mail and snorted "Highella" on its front page, while the other sun, the overheated star in the sky - a description some might say applies to all parties here - did its best to bring dear old Ison down to size.
What does the plucky comet look like now? Well, despite flying so close to the sun, like Icarus, something of its icy core seems to have remained.
We've all seen the Nasa pictures and computer simulations. They show a thin white line, laid out on the table of the night sky.
It's almost like - well, it's almost like a line of, well … like a line of… salt. Your Honour.
One feels a mixture of emotions at both stories. There is slack-jaw amazement at some of the statistics. Apparently, Comet Ison has been spending up to £100,000 a month on six credit cards as it speed-shops across the universe, while the ice tray in Nigella Lawson's Belgravia fridge is believed to be three miles in diameter!
These are just extraordinary figures. Who could not be astounded?
But there is sadness too. We've all sent e-mails that we wouldn't like read out in public, and there are doubtless many people in prominent positions who have indulged as Lawson is alleged to have done - only their behaviour hasn't been exposed.
Sad too, to think of Comet Ison - or what remains of it - speeding away from us, destined only to live on as a Wikipedia entry. Surely a great TV career beckoned. "Ice has this House" or something, on Channel Four.
It's a human trait to anthropomorphise things. Perhaps it had wanted to settle here, start a new life, somewhere with a bit of atmosphere. Or just an atmosphere, period.
Yet there's a sting of envy at one aspect of the whole sorry saga. That credit card spending.
We'd like some of this please. Sounds like Saatchi never has to deal with all that "And the last three digits on the back?" that we have to put up with.
Our account is a bit like Ison. Growing smaller, heading nowhere, but sadly all too visible to the naked eye.
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