Friday, January 3

NASA’s solar probe is about to fly closer to the sun than any human-made object ever

The Summary

  • NASA s Parker Solar Probe is expected to dive extremely close to the solar surface on Dec. 24.
  • The spacecraft should get nearer to the sun than any other human-made object in history within 3.86 million miles.
  • The mission was designed to study the sun s outer atmosphere and help researchers learn about how solar storms erupt into space.

In anticipation of Christmas Eve, NASA is getting ready to taste the sun.

Days from Tuesday, the agency’s Parker Solar Probe will make its closest-ever approach to the sun, swooping closer than any other man-made object in history.

At 6:40 a.m. ET on Tuesday, the spacecraft, which is roughly the size of a small car, will plunge within 3.86 million miles of the solar surface. NASA says it will pass at roughly 430,000 mph.

According to NASA’s heliophysics division program scientist Kelly Korreck, it’s like traveling 96% of the way to the sun’s surface.

NASA will have to wait roughly three days to receive a signal indicating that the spacecraft survived its rendezvous with the sun because mission controllers won’t be able to contact with the probe during the maneuver.

According to the agency, the first pictures from the close encounter will probably be transmitted back to Earth in January.

According to Korreck, the Parker Solar Probe will probably fly through solar plasma plumes as it approaches the sun and may even plunge into the star’s active regions.

The goal of the mission was to investigate the corona, an extremely hot region at the outermost end of the sun’s atmosphere. Because the outer layer of the sun’s atmosphere is hundreds of times hotter than the star’s surface, scientists are eager to examine the corona up close.

See also  Despite Fed cuts, many store credit cards are still charging extreme interest rates to customers

Researchers will be able to better understand how storms that form on the sun’s surface burst into space by observing the corona. For example, streams of the highest-energy solar particles will be visible to the probe as they are launched from the sun and explode at supersonic speeds into space.

According to Korreck, here is where space weather originated. Parker is currently experiencing space weather, something we have only seen from a distance. Now that we have a better understanding of how space weather develops, we will be able to interpret storms on the sun through telescopes and determine what they mean for us on Earth.

The sun can shoot massive solar flares and streams of charged particles, called solar wind, straight at Earth during times of extreme space weather. These eruptions have the potential to supercharge the northern lights, destroy electrical networks, and harm satellites when they interact with the magnetic field of our planet.

According to Korreck, the Parker Solar Probe mission will assist scientists in better predicting space weather and its possible effects, just like meteorologists and atmospheric scientists do for Earthly weather.

Since its 2018 launch, the Parker probe has made more than 20 orbits around the sun. The mission will make three last close swings, the first of which will be the flyover on Christmas Eve. Eugene Parker, a trailblazing astronomer at the University of Chicago who originally proposed the presence of the solar wind, is honored by the spacecraft’s name. At the age of 94, Parker passed away in 2022.

See also  Democratic-controlled cities are finalizing plans to oppose mass deportation

In a maneuver intended to help slingshot the probe near the sun, the spacecraft passed Venus last month. The impending close approach was scheduled to occur during the sun’s 11-year cycle of activity’s most active moment. The solar maximum refers to this busy period, which is usually marked by a flurry of solar storms and significant magnetic activity.

If there are any storms raging on the sun’s surface on Christmas Eve, scientists like Korreck are hoping the Parker Solar Probe will be at a prime location.

Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *