An illustration showing NASA’s Parker Solar Probe as it nears the sun. NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is set to make an unprecedented close approach to the solar surface on December 24. This spacecraft will reach a distance closer to the sun than any other human-made object in history, flying within 3.86 million miles. The primary goal of this mission is to study the sun’s outer atmosphere and investigate the origins of solar storms that travel into space. NASA is eagerly anticipating the probe’s close encounter with the sun on Christmas Eve. The Parker Solar Probe, approximately the size of a small car, will approach to within 3.86 million miles of the solar surface at 6:40 a.m. ET on Tuesday, traveling at around 430,000 mph. Mission controllers will not be able to communicate with the probe during this critical maneuver, so there will be a three-day wait for confirmation that the spacecraft has survived the encounter. The first images from this historic approach are expected to be transmitted back to Earth in January. As the Parker Solar Probe navigates close to the sun, it may pass through solar plasma plumes and potentially explore active regions of the star. By observing the sun’s corona up close, scientists aim to understand why this outer layer of the sun’s atmosphere is significantly hotter than its surface. This mission will also provide insights into the formation and impact of space weather, including solar flares and solar wind that can affect Earth. Forecasting space weather is crucial for safeguarding satellites, power grids, and other technology, as well as understanding phenomena like the auroras. The Parker probe, named after astrophysicist Eugene Parker, who passed away in 2022, was launched in 2018 and has completed over 20 orbits around the sun. This upcoming close approach is the first of three final maneuvers planned for the mission, following a recent flyby of Venus to assist in approaching the sun.
The peak of the sun’s 11-year cycle of activity is known as the solar maximum. During this period, the sun is at its most active, with a significant increase in solar storms and high magnetic activity. Scientists, including Korreck, are eager for the Parker Solar Probe to observe any potential storm activity on the sun’s surface during this time.
