NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has made history by surviving the closest-ever approach to the sun, plunging into its outer atmosphere and enduring brutal temperatures and extreme radiation in a quest to better our understanding of how the Sun works.
NASA Probe Survives Record-Breaking Close Approach to Sun
Breaking Records with Proximity
The Parker Solar Probe has made history by surviving the closest-ever approach to the sun. On Christmas Eve, the probe plunged into our star’s outer atmosphere, enduring brutal temperatures and extreme radiation in a quest to better our understanding of how the Sun works.
A Record-Breaking Achievement
The spacecraft flew within 3.8 million miles from the solar surface at a speed of up to 430,000 mph, making it the closest-ever approach to the sun. This close-up study of the Sun allows Parker Solar Probe to take measurements that help scientists better understand how material in this region gets heated to millions of degrees, trace the origin of the solar wind, and discover how energetic particles are accelerated to near light speed.
The Mission’s Importance
Scientists hope that as the spacecraft passed through our star’s outer atmosphere – its corona – it will have collected data that will solve a long-standing mystery. The corona is really, really hot, and we have no idea why. Understanding the Sun, its activity, space weather, the solar wind, is so important to our everyday lives on Earth.
A Glimpse into the Sun’s Atmosphere
Dr Nicola Fox, head of science at NASA, previously told BBC News: “For centuries, people have studied the Sun, but you don’t experience the atmosphere of a place until you actually go [and] visit it. And so we can’t really experience the atmosphere of our star unless we fly through it.” The spacecraft’s data will help scientists better understand solar wind – the constant stream of charged particles bursting out from the corona.
A Historic Pass
The Parker Solar Probe launched in 2018, heading to the centre of our solar system. It had already swept past the Sun 21 times, getting ever nearer, but the Christmas Eve visit was record-breaking. At its closest approach, the probe was 3.8 million miles from our star’s surface.
A Challenging Task
The spacecraft endured temperatures of up to 1,800F (980C) and radiation that could have frazzled the on-board electronics. It was protected by an 11.5cm thick carbon-composite shield, but the spacecraft’s tactic was to get in and out fast.
A New Era in Space Exploration
The mission should also help scientists better understand solar wind – the constant stream of charged particles bursting out from the corona. When these particles interact with the Earth’s magnetic field the sky lights up with dazzling auroras. But this so-called space weather can cause problems too, knocking out power grids, electronics and communication systems.
A Step Forward in Understanding Our Star
The Parker Solar Probe’s historic pass through the Sun’s atmosphere is a significant step forward in understanding our star and its effects on our planet. The mission will provide valuable insights into the Sun’s behavior and help scientists better predict space weather events that can impact our daily lives.
