NASA’s Parker Solar Probe ‘touches’ the sun for the 1st time ever

NASA's Parker Solar Probe 'touches' the sun for the 1st time ever

Credit: YouTube screenshot

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe ‘touches’ the sun for the 1st time ever. Parker is travelling at more than 100 kilometres per second.

NASA has made history as the Parker spacecraft officially ‘touched’ the sun. On December 14, NASA confirmed that Parker had made its way through the sun’s corona. NASA scientists have been eagerly awaiting data to confirm that the spacecraft had “touched” the sun. The historic event happened in April but it has taken months for the data to return from the spacecraft due to the distance.

NASA commented: “For the first time in history, a spacecraft has touched the Sun. NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has now flown through the Sun’s upper atmosphere – the corona – and sampled particles and magnetic fields there.”

Thomas Zurbuchen, the associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate commented on the milestone moment. He said: ‘Parker Solar Probe ‘touching the Sun’ is a monumental moment for solar science and a truly remarkable feat,’

‘Not only does this milestone provide us with deeper insights into our Sun’s evolution and (its) impacts on our solar system, but everything we learn about our own star also teaches us more about stars in the rest of the universe.’

Parker was launched in 2018 and is named after astrophysicist Eugene Parker.


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Alex
Written by

Alex Glenn

Originally from the UK, Alex is based in Almeria and is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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