Nasa is flying the fastest human-made object ever made closer to the Sun than anything has ever been before.
The space agency hopes that the Parker Solar Probe can get to the heart of many of the mysteries of the Sun, including what powers the violent processes that keep us alive on Earth.
The Parker Solar Probe was launched in 2018 with the hope of getting a close look at the Sun and helping answer some of those questions. Since its launch it has flown close to the Sun and examined the corona, or the layer of atmosphere on the outer edge that can be seen during a solar eclipse.
Now however it will begin potentially the most dramatic part of its mission, as it approaches the Sun more closely than ever before. On Tuesday, it will make its way through the atmosphere and reach within 6 million kilometres of the surface of the Sun.
That means that it will be just 4 per cent of the distance that usually lies between us and our star.
Mission managers won’t know how Parker fared until days after the flyby since the spacecraft will be out of communication range.
Parker planned to get more than seven times closer to the sun than previous spacecraft, hitting 430,000 mph (690,000 kph) at closest approach. It’s the fastest spacecraft ever built and is outfitted with a heat shield that can withstand scorching temperatures up to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,371 degrees Celsius).
It’ll continue circling the sun at this distance until at least September. Scientists hope to better understand why the corona is hundreds of times hotter than the sun’s surface and what drives the solar wind, the supersonic stream of charged particles constantly blasting away from the sun.
The sun’s warming rays make life possible on Earth. But severe solar storms can temporarily scramble radio communications and disrupt power.
The sun is currently at the maximum phase of its 11-year cycle, triggering colorful auroras in unexpected places.
“It both is our closest, friendliest neighbour,” Nasa’s Joe Westlake said, “but also at times is a little angry.”
Additional reporting by agencies
