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What scientific insights will be gained from Parker Solar Probe's closest approach on Dec 24, 2024?
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Resolution / Starting Odds
Significant insights on corona temperature • 25%
Significant insights on solar wind • 25%
Both significant insights • 25%
No significant insights • 25%
Scientific publications or NASA's official announcements
Story
NASA's Parker Solar Probe to Reach 3.8 Million Miles from Sun at 430,000 MPH on Christmas Eve
Dec 22, 2024, 09:48 PM
NASA's Parker Solar Probe is set to make its closest-ever approach to the sun on December 24, 2024, reaching within 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometers) of the solar surface. Launched in 2018, the probe has been designed to study the sun's corona and solar wind. During this flyby, marking its 22nd orbit out of a planned 24, the spacecraft will travel at a speed of 430,000 mph, making it the fastest human-made object ever built. The probe is equipped with a heat shield capable of withstanding temperatures up to 1,371 degrees Celsius. This mission aims to gather data from uncharted territory, providing insights into why the sun's corona is significantly hotter than its surface and what drives solar wind. The Parker Solar Probe will not be in communication with Earth during its closest approach and is expected to send a signal confirming its status on December 27.
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New insights into solar corona • 25%
New insights into solar wind • 25%
New insights into solar magnetic fields • 25%
No significant new insights • 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%
3.8 million miles • 25%
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Exact distance unknown • 25%
Solar corona • 25%
Solar wind • 25%
Magnetic fields • 25%
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High public interest and excitement • 25%
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Exceeds 430,000 mph • 25%
Between 420,000 and 430,000 mph • 25%
Between 410,000 and 420,000 mph • 25%
Below 410,000 mph • 25%
Yes • 50%
No • 50%
Heat shield performance issues • 25%
Communication blackout • 25%
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Other technical challenges • 25%
New insights on solar wind origins • 25%
No significant new information • 25%
Confirms previous solar wind models • 25%
Data not yet analyzed • 25%