A NASA space probe will fly into the sun on Christmas Eve

The Parker Solar Probe is set to embark on a groundbreaking mission to fly within 3.8 million miles of the sun’s surface, penetrating its outer atmosphere, the corona, on Christmas Eve. This mission aims to study the origins of the solar wind, a phenomenon that has intrigued scientists since its discovery in the 1960s.

Engineered to endure the extreme heat of over 2,500°F in the sun's corona, the probe incorporates exotic metal alloys such as titanium-zirconium-molybdenum, which have melting points above 4,200°F. The project, led by Nicky Fox, emphasizes the importance of material selection in withstanding drastic temperature changes, including using sapphire crystal-insulated niobium wiring to prevent melting.

Named after physicist Eugene Parker, who predicted the solar wind's existence in the 1950s, the mission is over six years into its journey. As the fastest human-made object traveling at speeds over 430,000 mph, the probe's upcoming closest approach could yield critical insights into solar wind origins, potentially drawing more attention to its scientific achievements.