Posted on 03/23/2025 5:56:12 PM PDT by Red Badger
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has just completed its 23rd close approach to the Sun, once again flying through the solar corona at a blistering 430,000 miles per hour. Credit: Johns Hopkins University/APL/Steve Gribben
==================================================================================
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe once again dived deep into the Sun’s atmosphere, matching its own record for speed and proximity. Racing at 430,000 mph and skimming just 3.8 million miles from the solar surface, the probe gathered rare data from within the Sun’s corona.
On March 22, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe completed its 23rd close encounter with the Sun, reaching a distance of just 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometers) from the solar surface, matching its previous record for proximity.
During the flyby, the spacecraft also hit its top speed of 430,000 miles per hour (692,000 kilometers per hour), a milestone it first achieved during its December 24 encounter.
All four of Parker’s scientific instruments were active during the flyby, collecting valuable data from inside the Sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona. The spacecraft had been operating autonomously during its closest approach, as planned, and was confirmed to be functioning normally during its most recent contact with mission controllers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Maryland, where it was designed and built. Parker is expected to transmit health and science data back to Earth on Tuesday, March 25.
Parker Solar Probe Touches Sun: NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has completed its latest dive into the Sun’s atmosphere, matching its speed and distance records while collecting groundbreaking data from within the corona. Scientists now await fresh data that could deepen our understanding of solar activity. Credit: NASA GSFC/CIL/Brian Monroe
===============================================================================================
The flyby, as the second several at this distance and speed, is allowing the spacecraft to conduct unrivaled scientific measurements of the solar wind and related activity. At the same time, scientists continue to dig into the data still streaming back from the December closest approach.
The Parker Solar Probe is a NASA spacecraft designed to study the Sun up close. Launched in 2018, it’s the first mission to enter the Sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona. The probe’s goal is to help scientists better understand solar wind, space weather, and the Sun’s overall behavior—factors that can affect satellites, astronauts, and power grids on Earth. To survive the extreme heat and radiation, the probe is equipped with a heat shield that protects its instruments as it flies closer to the Sun than any spacecraft in history. Over its seven-year mission, Parker will complete multiple close flybys, gathering data that could unlock long-standing solar mysteries.
As far as I can tell The fastest meteor ever recorded so far was 64,000mph in 2012. This is 430,000mph, around 560 times the speed of sound I think. I guess they are using the Sun’s gravity well, hope no one figures out how to use this principle as a weapon slung back to earth hahah.
FReegards
In Heinlein’s “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress”, the rebels on the Moon used large rocks launched at Earth as weapons. They exploded like atomic bombs..............
Yuk yuk.
In related news...
North Korea Lands First Ever Man On The Sun, Confirms Central News Agency
https://waterfordwhispersnews.com/2014/01/21/north-korea-lands-first-ever-man-on-the-sun-confirms-central-news-agency/
Great book! All I can picture is a flock of guided projectile probes whipping around the sun in eccentric orbits until needed, gaining velocity. Around 9-10 days later they would arrive on target at the current speeds if they don’t get the “all’s well” signal or whatever. Probably not feasible but fun to think about.
Freegards
The phrase “an armed citizenry is a polite citizenry” is a quote often attributed to Robert A. Heinlein, the author of the science fiction novel “The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress,” and it suggests that a society where people are armed is more likely to be polite because individuals are more likely to be respectful of others when they know they may have to defend themselves.
“If the Sun doesn’t stop farting at us, I can’t be responsible for my actions.” Zeuss
Are they receiving whale song?
The series “Expanse” on Amazon prime uses that principle for an attack on Earth.
Except that it would be slowing down as it climbed away from the Sun.
That thing has fallen into the deepest gravity potential well in the entire solar system. It has used Venus seven times to slow it down, but it's still fallen down a long, long hill.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.