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Parker Solar Probe's closest-ever solar approach hits 3.8 million miles on Christmas Eve

Parker Solar Probe set for historic Christmas Eve solar approach (Image source: NASA)
Parker Solar Probe set for historic Christmas Eve solar approach (Image source: NASA)
NASA's Parker Solar Probe prepares for its closest-ever solar approach on December 24, flying within 3.8 million miles of the Sun's surface at speeds of 430,000 mph. Protected by advanced heat shields and specialized materials, this historic mission aims to discover the origins of the solar wind and its effects on our solar system.

NASA's Parker Solar Probe is gearing up for its closest approach to the Sun, coming within 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometers) of its surface on December 24. This trip will see the spacecraft fly right into the Sun's corona, taking us deeper into the Sun’s atmosphere than humanity has ever ventured.

As it makes this incredibly close approach, the probe’s heat shield will face extreme conditions, with temperatures topping 2,500°F (1,371°C). The mission is about figuring out where the solar wind comes from—a mysterious phenomenon first predicted by physicist Eugene Parker in the 1950s and later confirmed by the Mariner 2 mission in 1962.

“Quite simply, we want to find the birthplace of the solar wind,” said NASA’s Chief Scientist Nicky Fox, who used to be the project scientist for the Parker Solar Probe. The solar wind is this never-ending flow of charged particles blasting out from the Sun’s corona, and it significantly impacts things like Earth’s auroras and other solar system phenomena.

The spacecraft isn’t huge—it weighs less than a metric ton and carries about 110 pounds (50 kg) of scientific equipment. But it’s already made history as the fastest human-made object ever, zipping along at 430,000 miles per hour, over one-sixth of a percent of the speed of light.

Getting the probe ready for this mission wasn't easy. Engineers had to figure out how to create materials that could handle the extreme temperature changes as the probe moved from the blazing hot corona to the freezing vacuum of space. Its Faraday cup, used to measure solar wind particles, is built from titanium-zirconium-molybdenum sheets that can withstand temperatures up to 4,260°F (2,349°C). Even the wiring needed extra care, with sapphire crystal tube insulation and niobium conductors to stop them from melting.

Launched in August 2018, the Parker Solar Probe is the first NASA spacecraft named after someone still alive—Eugene Parker himself, who was 91 at the time of launch. This close approach on Christmas Eve results from years of brainpower, cutting-edge tech, and engineering wizardry, and it’s expected to shed new light on solar mysteries that have stumped scientists for decades.

Source(s)

ArsTechnica (in English)

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2024 12 > Parker Solar Probe's closest-ever solar approach hits 3.8 million miles on Christmas Eve
Nathan Ali, 2024-12-22 (Update: 2024-12-22)