NASA Parker Solar Probe spacecraft ‘touches’ the sun for the first time

NASA spacecraft ‘touches’ the sun for the first time: Parker Solar Probe braves temperatures of 2370F and radiation 500 times stronger than on Earth as it dips into the star’s solar atmosphere

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A NASA spacecraft has officially ‘touched’ the sun, after it plunged through the unexplored solar atmosphere known as the corona, passing just eight million miles from the core of the star. NASA’s Parker Solar Probe battled temperatures of 2370F and radiation 500 times stronger than on Earth as it made its eighth approach to the celestial body, finally passing through its upper atmosphere.

A picture provided by NASA shows an artist's rendering of the Parker Solar Probe approaching the Sun. On Tuesday, December 14, 2021, NASA announced that the spacecraft had plunged through the unexplored solar atmosphere known as the corona in April, and will keep drawing ever closer to the sun and diving deeper into the corona.

A picture provided by NASA shows an artist’s rendering of the Parker Solar Probe approaching the Sun. On Tuesday, December 14, 2021, NASA announced that the spacecraft had plunged through the unexplored solar atmosphere known as the corona in April, and will keep drawing ever closer to the sun and diving deeper into the corona.

As Parker Solar Probe traveled through the corona on its eighth attempt, the spacecraft flew by structures called coronal streamers (pictured). These streamers can be seen as bright features moving upward in the set of pictures in the front row and angled downward in the bottom row. Such a view is only possible due to the spacecraft's ability to go above and below the streamers inside the corona. Until now, streamers have only been seen from afar. They are visible from Earth during total solar eclipses.

As Parker Solar Probe traveled through the corona on its eighth attempt, the spacecraft flew by structures called coronal streamers (pictured). These streamers can be seen as bright features moving upward in the set of pictures in the front row and angled downward in the bottom row. Such a view is only possible due to the spacecraft’s ability to go above and below the streamers inside the corona. Until now, streamers have only been seen from afar. They are visible from Earth during total solar eclipses.

This handout photograph, courtesy of NASA, shows the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket launching NASA's Parker Solar Probe to touch the Sun on Sunday, August 12, 2018, from Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. NASA launched a $1.5 billion spacecraft toward the Sun on a historic mission to protect the Earth by unveiling the mysteries of dangerous solar storms.

This handout photograph, courtesy of NASA, shows the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket launching NASA’s Parker Solar Probe to touch the Sun on Sunday, August 12, 2018, from Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. NASA launched a $1.5 billion spacecraft toward the Sun on a historic mission to protect the Earth by unveiling the mysteries of dangerous solar storms.

As Parker Solar Probe approaches closer to the Sun, it’s crossing into unexplored territory and making new discoveries. This image represents Parker Solar Probe's distances from the Sun for some of these milestones and discoveries.

As Parker Solar Probe approaches closer to the Sun, it’s crossing into unexplored territory and making new discoveries. This image represents Parker Solar Probe’s distances from the Sun for some of these milestones and discoveries.

It took seven orbits around Venus for Parker to finally get close to the sun's surface in April. New discoveries on the sun's upper atmosphere, also known as the corona, will better explain the origins of the solar wind and its flares.

It took seven orbits around Venus for Parker to finally get close to the sun’s surface in April. New discoveries on the sun’s upper atmosphere, also known as the corona, will better explain the origins of the solar wind and its flares.

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