Headline: NASA‘s Parker Solar Probe Achieves Historic Close Approach to the Sun
In a remarkable feat, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has approached the Sun closer than any spacecraft before, a milestone that was confirmed last Friday. Launched in 2018, the spacecraft named after astrophysicist and University of Chicago emeritus professor Eugene Parker is on a seven-year mission to gain new insights about the Sun, helping us better predict space weather events that can impact life on Earth.
On December 24, the solar probe reached its closest point to the Sun, known as perihelion, around six million kilometers (3.7 million miles) from the Sun’s surface. While the spacecraft reached this historic point, confirmation was delayed until Tuesday due to temporary loss of contact during its close approach to our star.
The Parker Solar Probe is currently the fastest human-made object, traveling at a staggering speed of 690,000 kilometers per hour (430,000 miles per hour). During its perilous passage close to the Sun, it experienced temperatures exceeding 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit (930 degrees Celsius). This was the first of three planned close approaches to the Sun, with the next one scheduled for March 22, 2025, and the third for June 19, 2026.
Image: NASA’s Parker Solar Probe approaches the Sun (Credit: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/Scanpix)
