NASA's Parker Solar Probe to Fly Within 3.8 Million Miles of Sun at 430,000 mph on Christmas Eve for Corona Study

Dec 22, 2024, 11:48 AM

NASA's Parker Solar Probe is set to achieve a historic milestone on December 24, 2024, by flying closer to the sun than any human-made object has before. The spacecraft will approach within 3.8 million miles (approximately 6.1 million kilometers) of the sun's surface, entering its corona to study solar wind and the corona's extreme temperatures. Traveling at a speed of 430,000 mph, the probe is equipped with a heat shield designed to withstand temperatures up to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. This mission aims to enhance our understanding of the sun's corona, which is significantly hotter than its surface, and the dynamics of solar wind, which can impact Earth's technology and environment. The probe will also provide insights into corona mass ejections and has utilized gravity-assist flybys, including several Venus flybys, to reach its current trajectory. The probe will be out of communication during its closest approach, with mission managers expecting to receive a status update on December 27. This mission coincides with the sun being at the maximum phase of its 11-year cycle.