The Parker Solar Probe has made a record-breaking flyby of the sun, coming within 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometers) of the solar surface during humanity’s closest approach to a star. The uncrewed spacecraft flew at speeds of up to 430,000 miles per hour (692,000 kilometers per hour), making it the fastest human-made object in history.
The mission has been building up to this historic milestone since its launch on August 12, 2018, and is expected to provide significant insights into the sun’s mysteries. Scientists have long wondered how the solar wind is generated, why the sun’s corona is so much hotter than its surface, and how coronal mass ejections are structured.
The Parker Solar Probe has been designed to withstand extreme temperatures, with a carbon foam shield that can withstand temperatures near 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit (nearly 1,400 degrees Celsius). The spacecraft’s unique cooling system allows it to maintain a comfortable room temperature for its electronics systems and science instruments during the flyby.
The probe will conduct two more close approaches in January and February, with the second one expected to be even closer to the sun than the first. Scientists hope that these events will provide them with valuable data on solar storms and enable them to better understand how to predict them.
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is a vital tool for understanding our sun and its impact on our solar system. The data it collects will help scientists gain insights into the sun’s activity, including solar maximum, which has been reached by the sun this year. With these findings, experts can better understand solar storms and how to predict them, ultimately improving our understanding of the universe.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/23/science/parker-solar-probe-sun-close-approach/index.html