NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is on the verge of achieving yet another historic milestone as it moves closer to the Sun than ever before. Scheduled for December 25, this record-breaking perihelion will bring the probe within approximately 6.2 million kilometers (3.8 million miles) of the Sun’s surface, marking a significant leap in solar exploration. This close approach will allow scientists to gather critical data on the Sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona , unlocking key insights into solar wind, magnetic fields, and the fundamental processes governing our star. Historical Background and Mission Overview Launched on August 12, 2018 , aboard a Delta IV Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, the Parker Solar Probe was designed to revolutionize our understanding of the Sun. Named after physicist Dr. Eugene Parker , who first proposed the existence of the solar wind, the probe’s mission is to venture closer to the Sun than any previous spacecraft. Over the course of its seven-ye...
“The universe is not only stranger than we imagine, it is stranger than we can't imagine”