NASA's solar probe creates history, touches Sun's upper atmosphere

For the first time in history, a spacecraft has touched the Sun. NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has now flown through the Sun’s upper atmosphere — the corona — and sampled particles and magnetic fields there, the US space agency has said.

The first-ever passage through the corona at 4.89 million miles lasted only a few hours. It is also one of many planned for the mission. Launched in 2018 to explore the mysteries of the Sun, the Parker Solar Probe has, so far, completed nine full orbits of the Sun. Before its prime mission ends in 2025, it will complete another 15 orbits. It is expected to spiral closer to the Sun in January, eventually reaching as close as 3.83 million miles from the surface.
During its eighth flyby of the Sun in April, the spacecraft encountered the specific magnetic and particle conditions at around 8.1 million miles above the solar surface that told scientists it finally entered the solar atmosphere. The new milestone marks one major step for Parker Solar Probe and one giant leap for solar science, NASA said, adding that it will help scientists uncover critical information about our closest star and its influence on the solar system.
"Parker Solar Probe 'touching the Sun' is a monumental moment for solar science and a truly remarkable feat," said Thomas Zurbuchen, the associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, in a statement. "Not only does this milestone provide us with deeper insights into our Sun's evolution and it's impacts on our solar system, but everything we learn about our own star also teaches us more about stars in the rest of the universe," he added.

Source - sentinelassam.com