NASA's Parker Solar Probe gets 'closest' to Sun, spends two days in solar storm. Watch
NASA Solar Parker probe
NASA's Parker Solar Probe has marked a historic milestone by becoming the first spacecraft to fly through acoronal mass ejection (CME) directly from the sun — a colossal eruption which expels billions of tonnes of plasma.
'Closest to the sun'
The audacious probe that was launched in August 2018 now holds the distinction of being the closest human-made craft to the sun.
As per a Forbes report, NASA's Parker Solar Probe spent two days at a mere 5.7 million miles (9.2 million kilometres) from the sun's scorching surface.
Tobetter understand the accomplishment, let's put it into context. Mercury, the nearest planet to the sun, is located roughly 23 million miles (37 million kilometres) from the blazing star. Our planet, Earth, is at a more comfortable distance, a staggering 93 million miles (150 million kilometres).
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On 22 September 2022, the Solar Parker probe passed right through the CME. This feat was revealed in a paper published in the Astrophysical Journal.
You can watch the fascinating video of its journey here:
As per Nour Raouafu, a Parker Solar Probe project scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, "This is the closest to the sun we’ve ever observed a CME."
"We've never seen an event of this magnitude at this distance," he added.
What exactly is a CME?
Coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, are huge expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun. These are often formed in the wake of solar flares.
Both phenomena, as per Forbes, trace their origins to "the twisting and realignment" of the sun's magnetic field.
When directed toward Earth, a CME can induce geomagnetic storms capable of reshaping our planet's magnetic field, and can create mesmerising auroras.
However, severe CMEs also have the potential to jeopardise satellites, disrupt communication systems, and unleash widespread power blackouts.
What did the Parker probe observe during its perilous journey?
During this momentous journey, the Parker probe detected particles hurtling at speeds of up to 840 miles (1,350 kilometres) per second, akin to the ferocity of the most potent solar storm ever recorded—the Carrington Event in 1859.
Fortuitously, the CME that the Parker Solar Probe travelled through was on the sun's far side and not directed toward Earth. If it was directed at our planet, it would've caused quite a few potential disruptions that could incur economic losses, estimated at over $41.5 billion per day in the United States alone.
(With inputs from agencies)
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