Parker Solar Probe Breaks Records with Unprecedented Leap Towards the Sun!

The NASA mission has set a new record as it endeavors to enlighten us about our nearest star.

This artist’s illustration depicts the Parker Solar Probe nearing the solar corona. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Ben Smith

On Dec. 26, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe ventured where no mission has previously reached, coming within 3.8 million miles (6 million kilometers) of the Sun’s surface and traversing the solar corona — the Sun’s upper atmosphere. This approach surpassed its former record of getting within 8.1 million miles (13 million km) of the surface in April 2021, as detailed in a NASA news release.

With this latest journey through the region, the probe is anticipated to aid scientists in comprehending why the Sun’s corona is significantly hotter than its surface, identifying potential sources for the solar wind, and understanding why particles escape the solar atmosphere at velocities reaching half the speed of light.

Surviving the Sun

Nevertheless, approaching so close to the Sun causes the spacecraft to heat up. This mission would not be feasible without the carbon foam shield that envelops the solar probe’s interior, allowing it to function despite the extreme heat and radiation. The shield can endure temperatures up to 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit (1,426 degrees Celsius), although it only reached a cool 1,800 F (982 C) during its most recent approach.

Earlier findings from the probe have already yielded promising insights, such as how regions of the outer corona appear “wrinkly,” characterized by spikes and valleys that may relate to areas where the Sun ejects substantial streams of material into space.

Related: Waves may be elevating the temperature of the solar wind — and two spacecraft have documented them in action

Other discoveries

After its launch in 2018, the Parker Solar Probe utilized Venus to gravitationally modify its trajectory and propel it closer to the Sun, ultimately positioning it at a close yet manageable distance from our star. The spacecraft executed seven close flybys of Venus to achieve this, capturing images of the dust ring that encircles the planet’s orbit around the Sun and detecting radio emissions as it passed through Venus’ upper atmosphere.

The mission is expected to transmit all of its gathered data back to scientists eagerly awaiting on Earth. Its forthcoming passes of the Sun will be on March 22 and June 19.