NASA's official mission updates and press releases

NASA's Parker Solar Probe Reaches Record 3.8 Million Miles from Sun on Christmas Eve

Dec 24, 2024, 01:24 PM

NASA's Parker Solar Probe made its closest-ever approach to the sun on Christmas Eve at 6:40 am EST, flying within 3.8 million miles (6.2 million kilometers) of the solar surface. Launched on August 12, 2018, the spacecraft aims to study the sun's outer atmosphere, or corona, to help scientists better understand solar activity and its effects on Earth. The probe traveled at speeds up to 430,000 mph (700,000 km/h), making it the fastest human-made object. During this flyby, it was exposed to temperatures exceeding 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit (930 degrees Celsius). This mission marks a historic milestone in space exploration, as no human-made object has ever been this close to a star.