🌞 Ever wondered what it would be like to visit the Sun? Well, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is doing just that! On December 24, this amazing spacecraft swooped closer to the Sun than any human-made object ever has before. 🚀
The Parker Solar Probe flew just 6.1 million kilometers away from the Sun’s surface. That might sound far, but in space terms, it’s super close! Imagine if the Sun and Earth were a football field apart; the probe would be just a few yards from the “goal post” Sun. 🏈
So why is the Parker Solar Probe getting so close? Scientists want to learn more about our closest star, the Sun. By flying into the Sun’s outer atmosphere, called the “corona,” the probe can collect important data. The corona is much hotter than the Sun’s surface, reaching millions of degrees! 🔥
Despite the extreme heat—up to 982 degrees Celsius—the Parker Solar Probe is built to survive. It travels at incredible speeds, up to 692,000 kilometers per hour! That’s so fast, it could circle the Earth more than 17 times in just one hour. 😲
The probe helps scientists understand things like how the solar wind works. The solar wind is a stream of tiny particles that flow out from the Sun into space. These particles can affect satellites and even power grids on Earth. By studying them, we can better protect our technology. 🛰️
Launched in 2018, the Parker Solar Probe uses the gravity of Venus to get closer and closer to the Sun. It’s like swinging around a pole to go faster! Each time it passes Venus, it gets pulled into a tighter orbit around the Sun. 🪐
This mission is super important because it helps us understand the forces that affect our entire solar system. Plus, it’s pretty cool to say we’ve “touched” the Sun! 😎
NASA says the probe is “safe” and working normally after its close encounter. It’s expected to send back more data on January 1. We can’t wait to see what new discoveries it brings! 📡
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
