NASA’s Parker Solar Probe just pulled off a cosmic mic drop, diving closer to the sun than any human-made object in history! 🔥 On December 24, the spacecraft zoomed within 6.1 million kilometers of the sun’s fiery surface—closer than Mercury’s orbit—braving temperatures up to 982°C (that’s hotter than lava!) while cruising at a jaw-dropping 692,000 kph. 💫
The probe slipped into the sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona, a region scientists call ‘space weather HQ.’ This mission could reveal how solar winds (think: sun-made particle storms 🌪️) speed across the solar system and why the corona is millions of degrees hotter than the sun’s surface.
NASA confirmed the probe is ‘safe’ after its daring holiday stunt, with teams at Johns Hopkins Lab cheering its midnight signal. More juicy data drops on January 1! 📡
Launched in 2018, Parker’s been using Venus’ gravity like a slingshot to spiral closer to the sun. Next stop? Even hotter adventures as it unlocks secrets to protect Earth’s tech from solar tantrums. 🛰️🔬
