Space & Astronomy

NASA's Parker solar probe attempts record-breaking flyby of the Sun

By T.K. Randall
December 24, 2024 ·  1 comment

Artist's impression of the Parker Solar Probe at the Sun. Image Credit: NASA / JPL Named after American solar astrophysicist Eugene Parker who originally predicted the existence of the solar wind, the Parker Solar Probe, which launched back in 2018, is on a fantastic journey like no other - a mission to the very heart of the solar system to learn the secrets of the Sun itself.

Built to withstand extreme temperatures and moving at speeds of 320,000mph, the probe is designed to survive its close encounters with the Sun by dipping into the corona for only brief periods.

Today, however, it will be attempting its closest approach yet - venturing within 3.8 million miles of the Sun on a Christmas Eve flyby that will test the probe to its absolute limits.

To add to the apprehension the team must be feeling right now, NASA will not receive the 'beacon tone' signal to indicate that the probe survived the flyby until December 27th."No human-made object has ever passed this close to a star, so Parker will truly be returning data from uncharted territory," said mission operations manager Nick Pinkine.

"We're excited to hear back from the spacecraft when it swings back around the sun."

While 3.8 million miles might seem a long way off from the Sun, at this distance the probe will be passing through the corona which is hundreds of times hotter than the surface itself.

If the probe does survive, it will have to perform two more increasingly daring flybys next year.

"This is one example of NASA's bold missions, doing something that no one else has ever done before to answer longstanding questions about our universe," said program scientist Arik Posner.

Source: The Guardian | Comments (1)

Tags: Solar, Sun