NASA's Parker Solar Probe 'Touches' the Sun in Record 3.8 Million-Mile Flyby on Christmas Eve

Dec 23, 2024, 07:43 PM

NASA's Parker Solar Probe is set to make its closest-ever approach to the sun on December 24, 2024, passing within a record-setting 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometers) of the sun's surface at approximately 6:53 a.m. EST. Launched in 2018 to study the sun's corona and solar wind, the spacecraft will endure external temperatures exceeding 1 million°F (555,000°C) while its 4.5-inch (11.4 cm) heat shield keeps the internal instruments at a cool 85°F (29°C). Traveling at speeds up to 430,000 mph (700,000 km/h) or 191 km/s, it becomes the fastest human-made object in history. The probe will fly through the sun's outer atmosphere, or corona, providing unprecedented data to help scientists understand solar phenomena and their impact on space weather. This mission marks the first time a spacecraft has "touched" the sun, bringing humanity closer than ever to our nearest star.