NASA has shared the closest-ever video of the sun, capturing mesmerizing footage of dancing solar wind and flying particles. The Parker Solar Probe flew through the sun’s corona, coming within 3.8 million miles from its surface, and sent back stunning images that showcase the phenomenon in unprecedented detail.
The Wide-Field Imager (WISPR) on board the Parker Solar Probe captured the video, which reveals the complex dynamics of solar wind and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The data collected during this close fly-by will help researchers better understand the impact of solar winds on astronaut safety, space weather safety for satellites, and aurora predictions.
Previous studies have shown that solar wind appears as a constant wind on Earth, but Parker’s findings suggest it’s actually a zig-zagging phenomenon due to magnetic fields called switchbacks. The probe has also revealed that the boundary of the corona is not as even as initially believed.
The camera’s ability to withstand temperatures in the millions without melting is thanks to a custom heat shield designed by NASA. The Parker Solar Probe was named after Eugene Parker, the heliophysicist who first theorized about solar winds in the late 1950s.
Source: https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/photography/astrophotography/a-camera-flew-through-the-suns-corona-didnt-melt-and-sent-back-these-first-ever-close-ups-of-the-sun