NASA's Parker Solar Probe, which has been studying the Sun for the past six years, was hit directly by a coronal mass ejection in 2021. The probe captured data and images that allowed scientists to create an amazing video, providing an unprecedented view of the solar corona.
Visible light observations of a Coronal Mass Ejection acquired by the Wide Field Imager for Solar Probe telescopes
The Sun is a fascinating object and as our local star, has been the subject of many studies. There are still mysteries though and it was hoping to unravel some of these that the NASA Parker Solar Probe was launched. It was sent on its way by the Delta IV heavy back in 2018 and has flown seven times closer to the Sun than any spacecraft before it.
By the time Parker completes its seven year mission it will have completed 24 orbits of the Sun and flown to within 6.2 million kilometres to the visible surface. For this to happen, its going to get very hot so the probe has a 11.4cm thick carbon composite shield to keep its components as cool as possible in the searing 1,377 Celsius temperatures.
NASA Parker Solar Probe Sun Coronal Mass Ejection Solar Corona Video
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