A groundbreaking mission is on the horizon for humanity, and the scientists working on NASA’s mission can’t wait to see the results. The Parker Solar Probe is set to come so close to the Sun that it can be compared to landing on a star.
Instead of using bizarre descriptions like “landing on a star,” the probe will have an unprecedentedly close approach to the Sun. It is planned to take place on December 24th next year. This approach is being compared to the Moon landing in 1969.
The NASA-owned probe will have a speed of 195 km/s, which is over 700,000 km/h. If an object were to move at such a speed on Earth, it would travel from New York to London in less than 30 seconds. It’s truly impressive!
The Parker Solar Probe will be just 6.1 million km away from the Sun, which is only 4% of the distance between the Earth and the star. This close encounter aims to gather new knowledge about key processes happening on the Sun.
The probe’s mission began in 2018, and now scientists are planning repeated and closer flybys of the Sun. They hope that the data collected during these flybys will bring a breakthrough in our understanding of the Sun.
The main advantage of the flyby scheduled for December 24th will be the longer time the probe spends in the solar corona, the upper part of the Sun’s atmosphere. This will be an opportunity to gather even more valuable information about this unique and mysterious place.
FAQ:
1. How close will the Parker Solar Probe be to the Sun?
The probe will be just 6.1 million km away from the Sun, which is 4% of the distance between the Earth and the Sun.
2. What speed will the probe achieve during the approach?
The Parker Solar Probe will have a speed of 195 km/s, which is over 700,000 km/h.
3. What is the main advantage of the probe’s flyby?
The main advantage of the probe’s flyby will be the longer time spent in the solar corona, enabling the collection of valuable data about this region of the Sun’s atmosphere.
Original Source: bbc.com
The source of the article is from the blog newyorkpostgazette.com