NASA’s new spacecraft will travel within 26 MILES of the sun in order to gather data that will help scientist better predict solar storms

Dailymail.com ^ | 01/28/2020 | Stacy Liberatore

[BenLurkin]

In collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), the team is launching the Solar Orbiter that will use Venus's and Earth's gravity to swing itself out of the ecliptic plane — the area of space aligned with the sun's equator, where all planets orbit.

From this position, the craft will feast its eyes on the first-ever look of the massive yellow dwarf star, which will provide scientists with better data to predict solar storms more accurately.

Solar Orbiter is equipped with a custom-designed titanium heat shield coated with a specific phosphate that withstands temperatures over 900 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing it to get within 26 miles of the blazing sun.

[yesthatjallen]

“What’s your favorite plant? Mine’s the sun.”

[caww]

The Sun has a radius 100 times that of the Earth which means that about 1,000,000 (1 million) Earths would fit into the Sun! ......so there's no protection even remotely that would shield anything from the earth we could even design to withstand the heat at 26 miles!

[caww]

The Sun has a radius 100 times that of the Earth which means that about 1,000,000 (1 million) Earths would fit into the Sun! ......so there's no protection even remotely that would shield anything from the earth we could even design to withstand the heat at 26 miles!

[precisionshootist]

26 miles? I think they are off a bit.

[grey_whiskers]

NASA’s new spacecraft will travel within 26 MILES of the sun in order to gather data that will help scientist better predict solar storms

Smarter Than You™.

[DannyTN]

We’re havin’ a heat wave
A tropical heat wave
The temperature’s rising, it isn’t surprising
She certainly can
Can-can

[Redcitizen]

You sound like a Technical Editor or something. ;)

[SuperLuminal]

26-miles???

Those morons must be thinking (or singing) about Catalina Island...

It is not possible to get within 26-miles of the Sun's surface!

[steve86]

” Actually, the Sun is cooler at the “surface” compared to the Corona, thousands of miles above. “

But the density of the corona is next to nothing. Wouldn’t transfer much heat, relatively speaking.

[aquila48]

How do you even define the surface of the sun to say that you will be within 26 miles?? Solar flares alone are bigger than the earth.

[aquila48]

“According to Wikipedia — which is apparently more reliable than the Daily Mail — it’s a bit over 26 MILLION miles, not 26 miles. (Mercury is about 35 million miles from the sun.)”

That sounds a lot more credible.

[DennisR]

Lol!

[Falconspeed]

Yeah, right. “[G]et within 26 miles of the blazing sun.” No way. Nothing gets within 260,000 miles of the sun.

Daily Mail. The home for the worship of Kim Kardashian.

[rktman]

Just double the asbestos wrap. It'll be fine.😵🌋🌞

[NorseViking]

“” “” I worked for Fairchild Space Company, now merged with Martin Marietta. I worked on top secret Navy satellites. We built those them tough as sh*t. But I know damn well right they would not stand up within 26 miles of the the Sun. This reporter has to be nuts.”” “”

Yep, absolute BS. Imagine the gravity of the sun alone. It makes planets like Neptune 17 times as heavy as Earth to orbit around itself from near 3 billion miles away.

[fieldmarshaldj]

26 miles ? WHUT ?

[Getready]

The reporter probably just heard the song “26 miles across the sea, Santa Catalina...etc” and it came out in the copy...dew knot all weighs trussed yore spell czech err.

[SunkenCiv]

NASA should have named it Marathon. Oh well.

Extra to APoD, which is odd, because I haven't done an APOD ping in a long, long while.

[SunkenCiv]

Waikikipedia: One Solar mass is close to 333,000 Earth masses.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

" Imagine the gravity of the sun alone. It makes planets like Neptune 17 times as heavy as Earth to orbit around itself from near 3 billion miles away."

Excellent point! Heck, try mowing the lawn or working in the garden without a shirt on in June or July. You will be burned up like a lobster.