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A Spacecraft Is About to Fly Into the Sun’s Atmosphere for the First Time
On Christmas Eve, NASA's fastest-moving probe will come closer than ever to the surface of the sun.
However, the smallish probe—it masses less than a metric ton, and its scientific payload is only about 110 pounds (50 kg)—is about to make its star turn. Scientists estimate that the probe’s heat shield will endure temperatures in excess of 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,371 C) on Christmas Eve, which is pretty much the polar opposite of the North Pole. The scientific community was pretty skeptical about this idea—many ridiculed Parker, in fact—until the Mariner 2 mission started measuring the solar wind in 1962.
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