Parker Probe's Proximity: NASA Releases Historic Close-Up of the Sun
NASA has released stunning new images captured by the Parker Solar Probe as it made a historic close approach to the Sun. On December 25 of last year, the probe flew just 3.8 million miles from the Sun’s outer atmosphere—the corona—marking humanity’s closest-ever encounter with the solar surface. According to NASA, if the distance between the Earth and the Sun were scaled to one foot, the probe would have been just half an inch away from the Sun.
As reported by Engadget, the images offer unprecedented views of the Sun’s coronal mass ejection (CME) and solar wind, contributing significantly to the understanding of space weather phenomena.
Nicky Fox, NASA’s Science Mission Director, stated, “For the first time, we’re not just seeing models—we are watching the origin of space weather that can impact Earth unfold right before our eyes.”
The Parker Solar Probe is scheduled to make its next flyby on September 15.
