NASA is on a mission that will move a man-made object faster than ever before and closer to the Sun than any previous attempt. Parker Solar Probe will orbit the sun and come within 6.1 million kilometers of the solar body, where it will experience temperatures of around 1,400 degrees Celsius as it hurtles at the mega speed of 435,000 mph.
Speaking to BBC News, project researcher Dr Nour Raouafi said: “We’re basically landing on a star. This will be a monumental achievement for all of humanity. It’s on par with the Moon landing in 1969.”
Although 6.1 million kilometers seems like a huge distance between the Sun and the probe, it is said to be about 4% of the distance between the Earth and the Sun (which is about 149 million kilometers).
The mission’s goal is to understand some of the sun’s most important processes, including the corona, the solar atmosphere.
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The mission will take place on December 24, which means science buffs can wake up on Christmas morning with an extra gift to look forward to.
2024-01-03 16:07:00
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