Parker Solar Probe Makes Historic Close Pass to the Sun

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has made history by becoming the first spacecraft to fly directly through the Sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona. Launched in August 2018, the mission was designed to solve long-standing mysteries about the Sun by getting closer than any spacecraft before it. During its closest approaches, Parker traveled to within about 6.2 million kilometers (3.9 million miles) of the Sun’s surface far closer than Mercury’s orbit and endured temperatures of nearly 1,400°C protected by a revolutionary carbon-composite heat shield.

This historic close pass allowed Parker Solar Probe to directly sample the solar corona, a region that has puzzled scientists for decades. One of the biggest mysteries is why the corona is hundreds of times hotter than the Sun’s visible surface. By flying through this region, Parker collected in-situ data on particles, magnetic fields, and plasma waves, providing the first direct measurements instead of relying solely on telescopes and remote sensing.

The probe’s observations have already revealed critical insights into the solar wind, the continuous stream of charged particles flowing from the Sun. Parker discovered sudden magnetic field reversals called “Switchbacks,” which appear to play a major role in accelerating the solar wind. Understanding these processes is crucial because solar wind influences space weather, which can disrupt satellites, GPS systems, power grids, and astronaut safety.

Parker Solar Probe achieves its record-breaking closeness using repeated gravity-assist flybys of Venus, each pass shrinking its orbit and bringing it nearer to the Sun. Over the course of the mission, Parker is expected to make multiple close approaches, each one gathering increasingly detailed data. This gradual strategy allows scientists to compare conditions at different distances from the Sun and build a complete picture of solar behavior.

The mission is considered a milestone in space exploration and solar physics. By “Touching” the Sun, Parker Solar Probe is transforming our understanding of how stars work, how solar storms are generated and how the Sun affects Earth and the entire solar system. Its findings not only deepen scientific knowledge but also help improve space-weather forecasting, protecting modern technology and future human missions beyond Earth.