Parker Solar Probe: Closest-Ever Approach to Sun

Why in the news?

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe safely completed its closest approach to the Sun on December 24, passing 6.1 million km from its surface to study the corona, solar wind, and high-energy particle acceleration.

Parker Solar Probe: Closest-Ever Approach to Sun

Historic Milestone:

  • On December 24, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe achieved the closest-ever approach to the Sun by any spacecraft.
  • It passed just 1 million km from the Sun’s surface, entering the corona—the Sun’s outer atmosphere.
  • The mission, launched in 2018, aims to study Earth’s closest star and uncover its mysteries.

Mission Highlights

  • The spacecraft endured extreme temperatures of up to 982°C while moving at a speed of 692,000 km/h.
  • It is designed to take close-up measurements to help scientists understand how the Sun’s material heats to millions of degrees.
  • The probe investigates the solar wind’s origins and how energetic particles accelerate to near light speed.
  • Flybys of Venus are used to adjust the probe’s orbit for closer approaches to the Sun.

Updates and Future Plans

  • NASA confirmed the spacecraft is “safe” and functioning normally, with a signal received by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory on December 28.
  • The mission’s insights will deepen understanding of the Sun’s impact on the solar system and improve space weather predictions.

Sources Referred:

PIB, The Hindu, Indian Express, Hindustan Times