A NASA spacecraft, the Parker Solar Probe, is set to make history by passing within 3.8 million miles of the sun’s surface on Christmas Eve. This will be the closest ever recorded pass, more than seven times closer than any previous mission.
The probe will travel at speeds of over 430,000 miles per hour and will break its own record as the fastest object ever made by humans. The mission aims to bring wonder to people on Earth while exploring the sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona.
Parker has inched progressively closer to the sun during 21 solar flybys since its launch in 2018. The spacecraft has overcome technical challenges, including heat shields that must contend with temperatures of nearly 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
For its 22nd encounter on Christmas Eve, Parker will fly hundreds of thousands of miles closer than previously, entering a stellar region that has never been explored. This could offer insights into the solar wind’s acceleration and help protect our civilization from space weather.
The sun is currently at its most active state, known as the solar maximum, which increases the chances of witnessing spectacular pyrotechnics up close. The probe has already braved coronal mass ejections and is hoping for stormier solar seas that might illuminate the mechanisms that accelerate the solar wind and heat the sun’s corona.
The spacecraft will be out of contact until December 27, when it will send a message back to Earth confirming its health. Parker has enough fuel for several more years, but it will never venture any closer to the sun.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/24/science/nasa-parker-solar-probe-sun.html