NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is about to make history this Christmas Eve by getting closer to the Sun than any spacecraft ever before. Reaching a scorching distance of just 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometers) from the Sun’s surface, the probe will brave intense heat and solar storms to provide scientists with unprecedented data about our star.
This daring mission will see Parker Solar Probe “dive” through the Sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona, at a record-breaking speed of 430,000 mph (690,000 kph). This close encounter will allow scientists to study solar flares and other phenomena in unprecedented detail, potentially unlocking new understandings about the Sun’s 11-year cycle and the processes that drive its incredible energy.
Launched in 2018, Parker Solar Probe has already made groundbreaking discoveries, such as revealing that the corona is hundreds of times hotter than the Sun’s surface. This Christmas Eve flyby promises to deliver even more exciting insights, with scientists eagerly anticipating the data that will be collected.
“We are preparing to make history,” says project scientist Nour Rawafi. The information gathered by Parker Solar Probe is expected to keep scientists busy for decades to come, potentially revolutionizing our understanding of the Sun and its influence on our solar system.