This illustration shows the Parker Solar Probe approaching perihelion: its closest approach to the Sun. It will achieve its closest approach ever on December 24, 2024, coming within just 4.43 solar diameters of the Sun’s photosphere. (Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Scientific Visualization Studio)
The Parker Solar Probe is about to undergo its seventh encounter with Venus on its journey towards the Sun. Here’s how fast it’ll go.
On September 30, 2024, the Parker Solar Probe reached its 21st perihelion: its closest approach to the Sun.
The science questions that are being answered by the Parker Solar Probe are fundamental to understanding the Sun, its corona, and the phenomenon of space weather. By the end of its mission, the Parker Solar Probe will have set a number of records and scientific firsts, including becoming the closest and fastest spacecraft ever with respect to the Sun. (Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio)
Presently, perihelion is only 7.87 million km (4.89 million miles) from the Sun’s surface.
This image and plot shows the Parker Solar Probe’s path and distance, with respect to the Sun, from its August 12, 2018 launch until its 21st perihelion, which it reached on September 30, 2024. (Credit: NASA/JHU/APL)
Its novel heat shield enables science operations under these extreme conditions.
The heat shield for the Parker Solar Probe, visible as the topmost structure here with a white alumina coating on the outer surface, is absolutely necessary for protecting the vital instruments inside from the otherwise catastrophic heat from the Sun. Once the heat shield fails, the entire probe is destined to fail within seconds. (Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Ed Whitman)
From closest approach, the Sun appears 28 times larger than terrestrial views.
