NASA space agency announced that the Parker probe has made the closest-ever approach to the Sun’s surface.
On December 24, the Parker Solar Probe flew just 6.1 million kilometers from the Sun’s surface. On December 27, mission management scientists received a signal from the mission indicating that the probe survived the close encounter and is operating normally.
Source: https://science.nasa.gov
During the flyby, the probe reached a speed of about 690,000 kilometers per hour and was exposed to temperatures of 980 degrees Celsius. The next close flyby past the Sun is scheduled for March 22, 2025 and June 19, 2025.
The goal of the mission is to study the star’s atmosphere, including solar storms that can affect communication systems on Earth.
The Parker probe was launched into space in August 2018. Its mission is expected to last seven years. It is named after Eugene Parker, an American astronomer who pioneered the study of the Sun.
