NASA's official announcements and data releases

NASA's Parker Solar Probe Reaches 3.8 Million Miles from Sun on December 24, Hits 430,000 mph

Dec 27, 2024, 08:20 PM

NASA's Parker Solar Probe has successfully completed the closest-ever approach to the sun, passing within a record-breaking 3.8 million miles (6.1 million km) of the solar surface on December 24, 2024, during Christmas Eve. The spacecraft, which is the fastest ever built, reached speeds of about 430,000 mph during this historic flyby. NASA confirmed the probe's safety and normal operation after receiving a signal on Thursday night, following several days without communication due to the extreme conditions near the sun. The probe is equipped with a heat shield capable of withstanding temperatures up to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Launched in 2018, the Parker Solar Probe has utilized Venus flybys to adjust its orbit closer to the sun. It is designed to study the sun's corona and the solar wind, aiming to unravel mysteries such as why the corona is significantly hotter than the sun's surface. The probe is expected to continue orbiting the sun at this close distance until at least September.