Parker probe "touches" the Sun: Breaking records and revealing the mystery of the corona.

NASA's Parker Solar Probe will make the closest flyby of the Sun in history. It will approach the Sun at a distance of 6.1 million km and will continue to explore the mysteries of the solar corona and cosmic phenomena that affect Earth.

On December 24, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe will make a special “touch” with the Sun, breaking the distance and speed records for the closest approach in the history of space missions. This is an important milestone not only for the development of space science but also for studies of the Sun’s influence on Earth. The event is exciting not only because of the records that Parker will set, but also because of the mysteries it may reveal about the solar corona and space weather phenomena.

The Parker Solar Probe was launched in August 2018 with the goal of conducting unprecedented research on the Sun, especially the corona and related cosmic phenomena. The mission's goal is to get as close to the Sun as possible, in order to collect important data about the Sun's outer atmosphere and cosmic energy events.

The concept of the “close flyby” that Parker is undertaking is extremely unique: the spacecraft will fly closer to the Sun than eight times the distance between Earth and the Sun, that is, just 6.1 million kilometers away from the Sun – a distance never reached by any previous space mission. Previously, Parker has flown past the Sun 21 times, each time using the gravity of planets, especially Venus, to increase the speed and momentum of the spacecraft, bringing it closer to the Sun.

Parker has set many records so far, including its closest approach to the Sun in October 2023, when it came within 7.2 million kilometers of the Sun and reached a record speed of 635,000 kilometers per hour. However, this Christmas, the spacecraft will make its closest flyby, coming within 6.1 million kilometers of the Sun and reaching a speed of nearly 700,000 kilometers per hour, about 150 times faster than the speed of a rifle bullet.

This flight is not only a scientific marvel but also an extremely harsh challenge. When approaching the Sun at such a close distance, the Parker probe will have to face extremely high temperatures, which can reach over 1,400 degrees Celsius. However, the Parker probe is equipped with a special heat shield made of extremely heat-resistant carbon-composite material. This shield is capable of protecting the spacecraft from the Sun's terrible heat waves, keeping the temperature inside the spacecraft below 30 degrees Celsius.

Parker’s shielding technology is a major step forward for space missions. The heat shield is more than 8 feet long and 4 inches thick, allowing the spacecraft to survive the harsh environment near the Sun. This is one of the key factors that allows Parker to perform its mission in the hellish environment with energetic solar winds.

The Sun’s corona, the outermost layer of the atmosphere, has long been one of the great mysteries of astronomy. Although the corona is hot, reaching millions of degrees Celsius, the mechanism by which it “heats itself” is not fully understood. Parker will pass through the corona to collect direct data on the composition and structure of this atmosphere.

In addition, Parker will study coronal mass ejections (CMEs). CMEs are huge eruptions from the Sun that can cause powerful magnetic storms that can impact Earth, disrupt telecommunications, GPS navigation, and even damage satellites. Parker will be the first spacecraft to fly through a CME, providing a rare opportunity to study these phenomena in detail.

Additionally, the Parker mission will take place during solar maximum, when the Sun is at its most active in its 11-year cycle. The flight will help scientists better understand solar maximum events and their effects on Earth, including the effects of magnetic storms and Earth's magnetic field.

Parker will continue to fly close to the Sun in the coming years, with increasingly deeper research objectives. It is expected to make several more close approaches to the Sun in 2025. However, the mission of Parker is limited, as the spacecraft will soon run out of fuel and must end its mission. After completing its mission, Parker will head straight into the Sun and be destroyed, but the spacecraft's heat shield can continue to exist in the Sun's orbit.

Parker’s closest flyby of the Sun on December 24 is a remarkable scientific event, not only because of the distance and speed records it sets, but also because of the mysteries it will help solve about the Sun and space weather. It is a major step forward in space research, opening up great opportunities to better understand the Sun’s effects on Earth and the universe around it.

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