NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is set to make history by flying closer to the sun than any spacecraft before it. Launched in 2018, the probe has already completed several successful flybys of the sun’s corona, but its next milestone will be a record-breaking close approach to the sun’s surface.
On Tuesday, the Parker Solar Probe will hurtle through the sun’s scorching atmosphere and pass within 3.8 million miles (6 million kilometers) of the sun’s surface. This marks more than seven times closer proximity than previous spacecraft, with speeds reaching up to 430,000 mph (690,000 kph). The probe is equipped with a heat shield designed to withstand temperatures of up to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit.
The closest approach will be part of a four-year mission to study the sun’s corona and solar wind. Scientists hope to gain insights into why the corona is hundreds of times hotter than the sun’s surface and what drives this phenomenon. The probe will continue circling the sun at its new distance until at least September.
This flyby comes as the sun is currently experiencing a maximum phase in its 11-year cycle, triggering colorful auroras in unexpected places. While the sun plays a crucial role in making life possible on Earth, severe solar storms can temporarily disrupt radio communications and power supplies.
The Parker Solar Probe mission marks a new era of space exploration, with NASA’s Joe Westlake describing the sun as “our closest, friendliest neighbor” that is also “a little angry.”
Source: https://apnews.com/article/nasa-parker-probe-sun-corona-69c7041048c12b0741ff54a66118def7