NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Completes Closest Approach to Sun
A spacecraft called the Parker Solar Probe has made a record-breaking close approach to the sun. NASA confirmed on Friday that the probe survived its journey.
The probe flew within 3.8 million miles (6 million kilometers) of the sun earlier this week. It then sent a message back to NASA confirming it had completed its close brush with the star.
Parker Solar Probe was launched in 2018 to study the sun up close. It has flown through the sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona, and reached speeds of over 430,000 mph (690,000 kph).
The probe is protected by a special heat shield that can withstand temperatures of up to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,370 degrees Celsius). Scientists hope the data from the probe will help them understand why the sun’s outer atmosphere is so hot and what drives the solar wind.
For now, the Parker Solar Probe will continue to circle the sun at this distance until at least September.