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​Parker Solar Probe

  • 28 Dec 2024

On 27th December, 2024, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe reached its closest-ever proximity to the Sun, flying just 3.8 million miles (6.1 million km) from the solar surface.

Key Points

  • Mission Goals: The probe is studying the Sun’s corona to understand the heating of solar material, the origins of the solar wind, and how particles are accelerated to near light speed.
  • Extreme Conditions: Moving at a staggering 430,000 mph (692,000 kph), the probe withstood temperatures up to 1,800°F (982°C).
  • Signal Received: NASA confirmed the probe’s safety after receiving a beacon tone from its operations team at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. Detailed telemetry data is expected on January 1, 2025.
  • Launched in 2018: The Parker Solar Probe uses Venus flybys to tighten its orbit, progressively moving closer to the Sun for unprecedented solar observations.