The Parker Photo voltaic Probe, a mission by NASA, is ready to make its closest strategy to the Solar on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2024. This milestone flyby is predicted to happen at exactly 6:53 a.m. EST, as reported by a number of sources. The spacecraft will attain an unprecedented proximity of 6.1 million kilometers from the Solar’s floor, marking the 22nd shut encounter of its mission. This strategy represents a record-breaking second in house exploration, achieved by way of seven Venus flybys that incrementally introduced the probe nearer to the Solar.
Particulars of the Flyby
In accordance to mission updates from NASA and the Johns Hopkins Utilized Physics Laboratory (JHUAPL), the Parker Photo voltaic Probe will journey at a staggering velocity of 692,000 kilometers per hour throughout its journey by way of the Solar’s outer ambiance, or corona. This high-speed encounter goals to make clear the corona’s excessive temperatures and its position in photo voltaic wind era. The probe’s warmth protect, constructed to endure temperatures as much as 1,377 levels Celsius, will make sure the spacecraft stays operational because it navigates the extreme atmosphere.
Updates and Monitoring
Whereas the occasion itself won’t be broadcast dwell, updates can be supplied by way of NASA’s official channels and the Parker Photo voltaic Probe mission weblog. A standing examine from the spacecraft is predicted on December 27, adopted by the primary telemetry knowledge on January 1, 2025. The preliminary scientific findings, together with knowledge on photo voltaic exercise, are anticipated by late January.
What Comes Subsequent
This flyby is a part of the probe’s seven-year mission, concluding in 2025 after a complete of 24 photo voltaic encounters. Subsequent flybys in March and June 2025 will proceed to collect worthwhile knowledge, with choices concerning the probe’s orbit to be made thereafter, as per the mission group’s updates.
