NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is set to achieve an extraordinary milestone this Christmas Eve by venturing closer to the sun than any human-made object ever before. Launched in 2018, the spacecraft is expected to pass within just 3.86 million miles of the sun’s surface, a feat that has captured the attention of scientists and space enthusiasts worldwide. This daring approach, scheduled for 6:53 a.m. EST on December 24, promises to provide groundbreaking insights into the workings of our closest star.
The Parker Solar Probe, about the size of a small car, will hurtle through the sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona, at an astonishing speed of approximately 430,000 mph. Protected by an advanced heat shield capable of withstanding temperatures of up to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit, the spacecraft is designed to endure the intense environment of the sun. The mission’s primary objective is to study the corona, a region of the sun that remains a puzzle due to its extreme heat—hundreds of times hotter than the sun’s visible surface.
As the spacecraft dives closer to the sun, it will traverse plumes of solar plasma and may even pass through active regions of the star. This unprecedented proximity will enable the probe to observe solar phenomena such as the origins of solar wind and the mechanisms driving solar storms. These violent eruptions, which send streams of charged particles hurtling through space, can have profound effects on Earth, disrupting communications, power grids, and satellites. The mission aims to improve our ability to forecast these events, much like how meteorologists predict weather patterns on Earth.
“This is the birthplace of space weather,” said Kelly Korreck, a program scientist with NASA’s heliophysics division. “By living through it, Parker will provide invaluable data to help us understand how these storms form and what they mean for us here on Earth.”
The timing of this close encounter coincides with the solar maximum, the most active phase of the sun’s 11-year cycle. During this period, the sun experiences heightened magnetic activity and an increased frequency of solar storms. Scientists are optimistic that Parker will capture data from these dynamic conditions, offering a unique perspective on the sun’s behavior during its most turbulent phase.
Mission operators will lose contact with the spacecraft during its close approach, as communication is impossible in such extreme conditions. NASA anticipates receiving confirmation of the probe’s status about three days later, followed by the transmission of data and images from this historic journey in January. These observations are expected to shed light on longstanding mysteries, such as why the corona is so much hotter than the sun’s surface and what accelerates solar particles to supersonic speeds.
Named after the late astrophysicist Eugene Parker, who first theorized the existence of solar wind, the probe has already made over 20 orbits around the sun. Its Christmas Eve flyby marks one of its final three close passes, capping off a mission that has redefined our understanding of the sun and its influence on the solar system.
As Parker inches closer to the sun, humanity gains a front-row seat to one of the universe’s most powerful forces, advancing both scientific knowledge and our ability to protect Earth from space weather’s unpredictable effects.
Image is in the public domain and was created by NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben.
