On December 24, 2024, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe achieved a historic milestone by coming within 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometers) of the sun, the closest any spacecraft has ever ventured to our star. This Christmas Eve flyby marked Parker’s 22nd close approach to the sun, enduring the extreme heat of the solar corona, where temperatures soar to 1,800°F (980°C).
The probe also shattered its own speed record during this passage, reaching a velocity of 430,000 mph (692,000 kph)—around 300 times faster than the fastest jets on Earth. This speed was achieved with the help of seven gravity assists from Venus, the latest of which occurred in November 2024. While breaking records is remarkable, Parker’s true mission is to unravel the mysteries of the sun.
Specifically, the spacecraft is investigating the "coronal heating problem," a long-standing enigma in solar physics. Unlike the expected temperature gradient in stars, the sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona, is inexplicably hotter—exceeding 2 million degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 million degrees Celsius)—than its surface, the photosphere, which is only around 7,400°F (4,100°C). Scientists aim to identify the mechanism driving this extreme heating.
Parker's mission will continue with two more flybys scheduled for March 22, 2025, and June 19, 2025. These will bring the probe nearly as close to the sun as it did on Christmas Eve, pushing the boundaries of solar exploration further than ever before.
This unprecedented achievement offers invaluable data to help solve the mysteries of the solar corona, contributing to humanity’s understanding of the fundamental workings of our closest star.
Source. Space.com. "NASA's Parker Solar Probe celebrates Christmas with record smashing 'kiss' of the sun" "https://www.space.com/nasa-parker-solar-probe-christmas-flyby" December 24, 2024.
Edited by Aditya Vinjimoor.
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