A spaceship touched the sun for the first time in human history.
This spacecraft program into the sun was conceived by NASA in 1958. It was not until 2000 that it had the technology to make a spacecraft to approach the earth, and it will be realized in 2021 this year.
“This is amazing. The Parker Solar Probe touched the sun.” Nour Raouafi, a NASA scientist who performed this mission, has been doing solar-related research all his life, but this is the first time that humans really have Opportunity to learn about the structure of the sun up close. The scientist’s eyes gleamed and exclaimed, “This is a dream come true. The main task of the Parker probe is to fly over the corona, and we did it!”
There is an Alfvén critical surface defined by scientists on the edge of the sun，The Parker probe has crossed this interface this time. This is the first time in human history that it has entered the edge of the sun about 150 million kilometers from the earth.
This milestone not only has more in-depth insights into the evolution of the sun and the influence of the sun. By understanding the star of the solar system, it also helps to explore the information of the rest of the universe and galaxies.
Close to the hot sun,See the real look for the first time
Unlike the magnificent mountains and winding rivers on the earth’s surface, the sun has no solid surface. NASA It can be seen in the movie that the sun is a huge thermoelectric plasma ball, gathered together by its own gravity, solar matter flows out from the surface, but around the sun, it is bound by the sun’s gravitational force and magnetic field, this matter forms the sun’s The atmosphere is called the corona. The tiny corona is too weak to be easily seen. Only when there is a total solar eclipse, the sun will be clearly visible on the earth. The outer ring of light is it.
For centuries, scientists have been studying the corona, the two most puzzling mysteries of the sun’s atmosphere. One is where the sun’s high temperature comes from, and the other is the solar wind, which is hot, fast, and everywhere. Drifting solar matter, free from the sun’s gravitational pull, will enter space in the form of solar wind. This wind accelerates millions of miles per hour and leaves the sun’s surface. This wind will damage the satellite system and its application on the earth. Related technologies. Therefore, in order to protect the satellite system and the scientific and technological achievements that have been made so far, NASA has set the reaching of the corona as an important key goal.
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In addition, it is important to understand the matter that flows from the sun and fills the solar atmosphere (corona). It helps to understand how stars affect life in the solar system, and may have the same influence on other galaxies.
All of this, as the Parker probe approached the sun and got closer to the unknown truth, we also saw different appearances of the sun’s surface.
A glimpse into the mystery of the sun for centuries
During the flyby, the Parker probe passed through the corona many times and photographed the particles wandering around the probe, and also detected changes in the magnetic field. Get bigger.
At the same time, the solar wind has a reentrant knuckle, allowing the solar wind to reenter temporarily. The closer the solar wind is to the surface of the sun, the more the solar wind reentrants. Following the trajectory of this reentrant activity to the visible surface of the sun, many different small particles are found. As the hot gas rises below, it rises above the surface of the sun to produce magnetic energy funnels, and before ascending to the corona or beyond, these funnels will form folds.
Scientists don’t know what force these retracements are formed. This is also the clue that the Parker probe will look for in the next few years. Only by finding these reasons can we predict the impact of changes in the sun on the earth.
If a worker wants to do his job well, he must first sharpen his tools. The launch of the Parker probe is closer to the sun than any previous probe, and it must be able to withstand high temperatures for a longer period of time. To build such a spacecraft, it is also a long way to develop new materials.
How can the Parker probe get so close to the surface of the sun?
Parker The detector’s survival is due to the heat shield made of advanced carbon composite materials, which can withstand temperatures up to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,377 degrees Celsius). This has the effect of penetrating the heat of the sun, just like a racing car breaks the air in front of it, creating airflow behind it.In the space behind the car, the other car encountered less wind resistance, in factCanAccelerate faster than in front.
and Parker detectorSimilarly, its heat shield pushes the heat away, making it easier for spacecraft and instruments to manage the temperature behind it, without melting all the instruments under test.
This article is reproduced by open partners, source:NASA Goddard, Image source: Shutterstock