A Nasa spacecraft officially “touches” the Sun’s atmosphere, diving through the corona, the undiscovered solar atmosphere.
Scientists announced at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union on Tuesday.
During the spacecraft’s seventh close encounter with the sun in April, the Parker solar probe sailed through the corona. The data took a few months to arrive, and then several more months to confirm, according to the scientists.
The corona is where the action occurs because the sun lacks a solid surface; studying this magnetically intense region up close will help scientists better comprehend solar outbursts that potentially disrupt life on Earth.
Parker was launched in 2018. When it first crossed the rough, uneven boundary between the solar atmosphere and outgoing solar wind, it was 8 miles (13 kilometers) from the sun’s center. According to scientists, the spacecraft dipped in and out of the corona at least three times. Each time with a smooth transition.
Until its grand finale orbit in 2025, Parker will continue to get closer to the sun and dive deeper into the corona.
