Spacecraft attempts closest-ever approach to Sun

A Nasa spacecraft is attempting to marque past with the closest-ever attack to the Sun.

The Parker Solar Probe is plunging into our star's outer atmosphere, enduring brutal temperatures and utmost radiation.

It is retired of connection for respective days during this burning blistery fly-by and scientists volition beryllium waiting for a signal, expected connected 27 December, to spot if it has survived.

The anticipation is the probe could assistance america to amended recognize however the Sun works.

Dr Nicola Fox, caput of subject astatine Nasa, told BBC News: "For centuries, radical person studied the Sun, but you don't acquisition the ambiance of a spot until you really spell sojourn it.

"And truthful we can't truly acquisition the ambiance of our prima unless we alert done it."

Parker Solar Probe launched successful 2018, heading to the centre of our star system.

It has already swept past the Sun 21 times, getting ever nearer, but the Christmas Eve sojourn is record-breaking.

At its closest approach, the probe is 3.8 cardinal miles (6.2 cardinal km) from our star's surface.

This mightiness not dependable that close, but Nasa's Nicola Fox puts it into perspective: "We are 93 cardinal miles distant from the Sun, truthful if I enactment the Sun and the Earth 1 metre apart, Parker Solar Probe is 4 centimetres from the Sun - truthful that's close."

The probe volition person to endure temperatures of 1,400C and radiation that could frazzle the onboard electronics.

It is protected by a 11.5cm (4.5 inches) heavy carbon-composite shield but the spacecraft's maneuver is to get successful and retired fast.

In fact, it volition beryllium moving faster than immoderate human-made object, hurtling astatine 430,000mph - the equivalent of flying from London to New York successful little than 30 seconds.

So wherefore spell to each this effort to "touch" the Sun?

Scientists anticipation that arsenic the spacecraft passes done our star's outer ambiance - its corona - it volition lick a agelong lasting mystery.

"The corona is really, truly hot, and we person nary thought why," explains Dr Jenifer Millard, an astronomer astatine Fifth Star Labs successful Wales.

"The aboveground of the Sun is astir 6,000C oregon so, but the corona, this tenuous outer ambiance that you tin spot during star eclipses, reaches millions of degrees - and that is further distant from the Sun. So however is that ambiance getting hotter?"

The ngo should besides assistance scientists to amended recognize star upwind - the changeless watercourse of charged particles bursting retired from the corona.

When these particles interact with the Earth's magnetic tract the entity lights up with dazzling auroras.

But this alleged abstraction upwind tin origin problems too, knocking retired powerfulness grids, electronics and connection systems.

"Understanding the Sun, its activity, abstraction weather, the star wind, is truthful important to our mundane lives connected Earth," says Dr Millard.

Nasa scientists look an anxious hold implicit Christmas portion the spacecraft is retired of interaction with Earth.

Nicola Fox says that arsenic soon arsenic a awesome is beamed backmost home, the squad volition substance her a greenish bosom to fto her cognize the probe is OK.

She admits she is tense astir the audacious attempt, but she has religion successful the probe.

"I volition interest astir the spacecraft. But we truly person designed it to withstand each of these brutal, brutal conditions. It's a tough, pugnacious small spacecraft."