Western Slope Skies By Jeremy Stringfield
Credit NASA
You’ve heard the warning; “Don’t play with fire unless you want to get burned.” This is good advice that has prevented many singed eyebrows and painful blisters. NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has ignored this warning in the most extreme fashion.
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Episode aired Friday, April 16th and Wednesday, April 23rd, 2021
Currently 2 years into its 7-year mission, it has already made several of 24 orbits around our closest star. Eventually, it will travel closer to the surface than any other mission. The Helios 2 spacecraft has held the record since 1976 when it came within 27 million miles. At its closest, the car-sized Parker Probe will be within 4 million miles of the Sun’s surface and within its atmosphere.