On December 24, 2024, NASA's Parker Solar Probe made its closest-ever approach to the Sun, coming within 3.86 million miles of the solar surface, a record for any human-made object.
The spacecraft, which travels at approximately 430,000 mph, executed this maneuver at around 6:53 a.m. ET. During this flyby, mission controllers were unable to communicate with the probe and will wait about three days to confirm its status.
The Parker Solar Probe aims to study the Sun's outer atmosphere, particularly the corona, an ultrahot region that is hundreds of times hotter than the Sun's surface. This close encounter will allow researchers to observe solar plasma plumes and active regions of the Sun.
Understanding the corona is crucial for uncovering the mechanisms behind solar storms, which can have significant effects on Earth, including disruptions to satellites and power grids. The probe's observations will enhance forecasting of space weather events.
Launched in 2018, the Parker Solar Probe has completed over 20 orbits around the Sun. This December flyby marks the first of three final close approaches planned for the mission. The probe is named after Eugene Parker, a pioneering astrophysicist who theorized the existence of solar wind and passed away in 2022.
The mission is particularly timely, coinciding with the solar maximum phase, characterized by heightened solar activity and numerous solar storms.