NASA spacecraft touches Sun’s atmosphere, breaking record
On Dec. 24, 2024, NASAs Parker Solar Probe made history with the closest ever approach to the Sun Published December 24, 2024 5:46PM (EST) Artists concept of the Parker Solar Probe spacecraft approaching the sun.(NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben)The concept of touching the Sun can be traced back to the ancient Greek myth of Icarus, but scientists at NASA have turned that idea into a reality. On Dec. 24th, their Parker Solar Probe managed to travel to just within 3.86 million miles (6.1 million kilometers) of the Sun’s surface, a new record. The probe, which is roughly the size of a small car, has now become the human-made object to come closest to touching the Sun among everything our species has created.
“Moving at up to 430,000 miles per hour (692,017 km per hour), the spacecraft...
