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Scientific breakthrough from Parker Solar Probe by end of 2025?
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Resolution / Starting Odds
New understanding of solar wind • 25%
Discovery of new solar particles • 25%
Improved solar storm prediction • 25%
Other breakthrough • 25%
Scientific journals and NASA's announcements
Story
NASA's Parker Solar Probe Makes Record Closest Sun Approach at 3.8 Million Miles on Christmas Eve
Dec 24, 2024, 12:46 PM
NASA's Parker Solar Probe made history on December 24 at 6:40 am EST by making its closest-ever approach to the Sun, passing within 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometers) of the solar surface—a proximity more than seven times closer than any previous mission. Launched from Florida on August 12, 2018, the spacecraft is the fastest human-made object, hurtling around the Sun at speeds exceeding 430,000 miles per hour (692,000 kilometers per hour). The probe entered the Sun's outer atmosphere, or corona, enduring temperatures over 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit (930 degrees Celsius) thanks to its advanced heat shield. This unprecedented mission aims to "touch" the Sun to provide scientists with detailed observations of solar phenomena, enhancing our understanding of the star's impact on space weather and technology on Earth.
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Yes • 50%
No • 50%
Solar wind behavior • 25%
Corona heating mechanisms • 25%
Magnetic field dynamics • 25%
Other • 25%
Yes • 50%
No • 50%
New insights into solar corona • 25%
New insights into solar wind • 25%
New insights into solar magnetic fields • 25%
No significant new insights • 25%
New insight into solar wind • 25%
Improved understanding of solar corona • 25%
Unexpected solar phenomena • 25%
No major discovery • 25%
Solar wind dynamics • 25%
Corona heating mechanisms • 25%
Magnetic field analysis • 25%
Other • 25%
Significant impact on solar cycle understanding • 25%
Moderate impact on solar cycle understanding • 25%
Minimal impact on solar cycle understanding • 25%
No impact on solar cycle understanding • 25%
Advancements in solar energy • 25%
Improvements in spacecraft design • 25%
Enhancements in space weather prediction • 25%
No significant technological advancements • 25%
Significant new insights into solar corona • 25%
Confirmation of existing theories • 25%
Inconclusive data • 25%
Technical issues prevented data collection • 25%
Enhanced understanding of corona temperatures • 25%
New insights into solar wind dynamics • 25%
Discovery of unknown solar phenomena • 25%
Other significant scientific achievements • 25%