NASA's Parker Solar Probe Set for Record-Breaking Close Encounter With the Sun

The spacecraft will approach within 6.1 million kilometers of the Sun on December 24, providing unprecedented insights into solar phenomena.

The Parker Solar Probe will fly closer to the Sun than any human-made object, reaching just 6.1 million kilometers from the surface during its 22nd perihelion on Christmas Eve.
Traveling at approximately 690,000 kilometers per hour, the probe will endure temperatures over 1,371 degrees Celsius, protected by its advanced thermal shield.
Scientists aim to study the Sun's corona, which is hundreds of times hotter than its surface, to understand the origins of solar wind and extreme solar activity.
Communication with the probe will be temporarily lost during the closest approach, with a status beacon expected to confirm its health on December 27.
The mission, launched in 2018, is part of NASA's efforts to answer longstanding questions about solar dynamics and improve predictions of space weather impacts on Earth.