NASA Parker Solar Probe Makes History - Closest Approach to the Sun

On December 24, 2024 NASA’s Parker Solar Probe came closer to the sun than anything has before, at about 3.86 million miles. It also became the fastest man-made object ever, clocking in at 430,000 mph! The Parker Probe’s mission is to study solar wind, the stream of charged particles that are constantly coming off of the surface of the Sun. The probe was able to pass so close to the sun thanks to its very careful design, which includes an incredible heat shield! This monumental feat of exploration occured at 11:53 UTC (6:53 a.m. EST) on Tuesday, Dec. 24, as Parker conducted an unprecedented close flyby of the sun, reaching just 3.86 million miles (6.1 million kilometers) from its surface.