Launched in 2018, NASA's Parker Solar Probe is approaching the Sun to uncover solar secrets.
By the end of 2024, it aims to set a record, coming within 6 million kilometers of the Sun's surface. The probe, surpassing previous closeness milestones, is on track for an even closer and faster encounter later this year.
Landing on a Star: Solar Probe's Daring Close Flyby to the Sun
NASA's Parker Solar Probe, launched in August 2018 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, achieved its closest encounter with the sun on September 27, 2023, reaching a distance of 4.51 million miles (7.26 million km) and a speed of 395,000 mph (636,000 km/h).
After completing its 18th close flyby on December 28, 2023, the probe is gearing up for another significant approach to the Sun on Christmas Eve 2024, aiming to get within approximately 3.8 million miles (6.1 million km) of the photosphere, considered the sun's quasi-surface.
This ambitious mission, enduring temperatures of 2,550 degrees Fahrenheit (1,400 degrees Celsius), has been likened to "almost landing on a star" by project scientist Nour Raouafi.
The impending close flyby in 2024 not only promises to break the probe's previous speed record but will propel it to an astonishing 435,000 mph (700,000 km/h), solidifying Parker's position as the fastest human-made object to date.
Despite these impressive achievements, the probe's primary mission remains focused on unraveling the mystery of why the sun's outer atmosphere, the corona, is more than 200 times hotter than its surface.
The corona's perplexing temperature, exceeding 2 million F (1.1 million C), stands in stark contrast to the photosphere's temperature of around 10,000 F (5,500 C).
To address this scientific puzzle, the spacecraft will collect crucial data by flying through the corona, exploring phenomena such as coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Set to conclude in 2025 after its 24th sun flyby, the mission represents a pioneering exploration into the enigmatic secrets of the Sun.
Parker's Bold Journey Different From Solid Landing
The concept of "landing" on the Sun is markedly different from landing on solid masses like Mars. The Sun, composed of hydrogen and helium gas and intricately bound by its gravitational force, transforms material leaving the corona, the outer atmosphere, into the solar wind, creating a magnetic bubble.
The commonly termed "surface" of the Sun is, in fact, the photosphere or "light sphere," the initial layer of its atmosphere. Recognized for emitting the visible light spectrum, the photosphere is observable from Earth with adequately protected eyes, boasting a thickness of 250 miles and scorching temperatures reaching 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
In essence, though the Parker Solar Probe won't physically touch down on the Sun, an impractical feat, it will approach closer than any previous human-made object.
The probe seeks to unravel enduring mysteries about the Sun. According to Raouafi, approaching the solar surface will provide insights into the Sun's properties, improving our understanding of space weather and our abilities in space living and work.
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