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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.