Nothing had ever come this close to the Sun!
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has become the closest human-made vehicle to the Sun to date. The Parker Solar Probe advanced into the Sun’s outer atmosphere, being exposed to extraordinary amounts of radiation and heat.
The probe was launched in 2018 to study the Sun. On December 24, the probe came within 6.1 million kilometers (3.8 million miles) of the Sun’s surface, making the closest pass by a spacecraft to the Sun ever.
During this flyby, the Parker Solar Probe moved at approximately 692,000 km/h (430,000 mph) and withstood extreme temperatures of up to 982°C (1,800°F). The probe passes through the corona, the outer atmosphere of the Sun, providing scientists with valuable data about the structure and dynamics of the Sun.
The Parker Solar Probe investigates topics such as the origin of the solar wind and the acceleration of energetic particles.
*Images of the news were provided by Reuters.