加查之星,原标题：NASA's Parker Solar Probe Blasts off to 'Touch the Sun'新标题：NASA's Parker Solar Probe embarks on daring mission to 'touch' the sun

NASA's Parker Solar Probe, equipped with the latest technology, has embarked on a daring mission to 'touch' the sun. The probe, which was launched on August 12, 2018, aims to study the outer atmosphere of the sun and unlock the secrets of its behavior.

The mission is named after Dr. Eugene Parker, a renowned astrophysicist who proposed the idea of the solar wind in the 1950s. The probe is expected to come within just 3.8 million miles of the sun's surface, marking the closest a spacecraft has ever come to its fiery atmosphere.

The Parker Solar Probe will use its advanced technology to study the sun's atmosphere, which is known as the corona. Scientists hope that by studying the corona, they will be able to better understand the physics of the sun, as well as the processes that power coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and solar flares.

One of the key objectives of the mission is to discover what causes the corona to be much hotter than the sun's surface. The surface of the sun has a temperature of around 5,500°C, but the corona can reach temperatures of several million degrees. This is a puzzling phenomenon that scientists have been trying to explain for decades.

The Parker Solar Probe is built to withstand extremely high temperatures and will face temperatures of over 1,000°C during its journey. The probe is protected by a heat shield that is made from a carbon composite material that can withstand temperatures of up to 1,370°C. The probe will also use a cooling system to prevent its instruments from overheating.

The plan is for the probe to make a total of 24 orbits around the sun, with each orbit taking around 88 days to complete. The probe will gradually come closer and closer to the sun, until it finally reaches its closest point in 2024. At this point, it will be travelling at a speed of around 430,000 miles per hour, making it the fastest man-made object ever.

This groundbreaking mission is expected to enhance our understanding of the sun and its impact on Earth. The sun is the source of energy that powers all life on Earth, and CMEs and solar flares can have a major impact on our planet. These phenomena can cause power outages, disrupt satellite communication and affect our climate.

The data collected by the Parker Solar Probe will help scientists better understand how these phenomena occur and how they can be predicted. It will also help in the development of better technologies to protect our planet from their effects.

The success of the Parker Solar Probe mission will depend on how well it can withstand the extreme conditions it will encounter. But if successful, it could revolutionize our understanding of the sun and lead to groundbreaking discoveries.

Overall, the Parker Solar Probe mission is a testament to humanity's curiosity and quest for knowledge. It represents a significant step forward in our understanding of the universe and the forces that govern it. This mission will undoubtedly inspire future generations to pursue scientific research and exploration.