Parker makes 28th close fly-by of the Sun
The overall flight plan for Parker. The green indicates
this most recent close approaches.
The Parker Solar Probe this past week successfully completed its 28th close fly-by of the Sun, zipping past its surface at a distance of only 3.8 million miles.
During this solar encounter, which started June 3 and ends Saturday, June 13, Parker’s four scientific instrument packages gathered data from inside the Sun’s atmosphere, or corona. Parker will begin returning detailed spacecraft telemetry on June 14, with science data transmission set to run from Wednesday, June 17 to Tuesday, June 30.
…Parker also equaled its record-setting speed of 430,000 mph — a mark that, like Parker’s distance to the Sun, was set during a close approach on Dec. 24, 2024, and matched during five flybys since, most recently on March 11. Parker will continue matching these speed and distance records during future flybys.
Engineers estimate the spacecraft’s heat shield experiences temperatures exceeding 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit with each close pass.
With each pass the spacecraft dives deep into the Sun’s corona and gathers data about it unobtainable from a distance. It is also gathering that data over time, as it first arrived in 2018, when the Sun was at its solar minimum with little sunspot activity. Since then it has ramped up to maximum and is presently thought to be on its way back down to minimum (though this still remains uncertain). Parker’s ability to gather data cross this timeline is invaluable for gaining a better understanding of the Sun’s behavior.
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“”solar encounter, which started June 3 and ends Saturday, June 13″”
Even at 430,000 MPH, it takes 10 days to complete an encounter!
The first time it was revealed that the Parker Solar Probe reached 430,000 MPH, I immediately thought of the song Space Truckin’ by Deep Purple.
I sometimes think about the Parker Solar Probe’s incredible speed when I am out to town doing errands, usually on my bike, and crossing a street. If I were to see the Parker Probe far away up the road coming toward me, I probably don’t have time to cross to the other side before it passes.
Allan, it will be past you just as you become aware of it miles away.
It’s traveling at over ten miles per 100 ms, which is the rough response time of a human fast-draw artist. So as you just start to see it, and your body begins to move, without quite moving yet, forward or backward, it’s gone. Lucky for you. Or not, once the shock wave hits you.
Parker has a lot of life left in it, but it’s already qualifiable as one of NASA’s great successes. Right up there with Helios, SOHO, and Ulysses, and it’s certainly surpassed them all in some ways.
I admit that when I see ‘Parker’, I flash to the chauffeur in ‘Thunderbirds’ (with Supermarionation!).
Allan
Take a look at 0:30 of this clip for crossing the road problems — or the cat at 0:26
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jibz7GMPrS0
Thanks Don & Chris. Divide the 430,000 mph by sixty twice. I find 119 miles per second easier to grasp.