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Current status of the Parker Solar Probe.

The current heat shield temperature is 695°C. At perihelion, the temperature will reach close to 1000°C.

See this thread at https://fosstodon.org/@AkaSci/113705015492853135 for info on the previous perihelion and some technical data on the PSP.

https://parkersolarprobe.jhuapl.edu/
2/n

The graphic below shows the size of the Sun, the distance between the Sun and the Parker Solar probe and the edge of the Corona, the Sun's "atmosphere." The edge is known as the Alfvén surface.

The Parker Solar Probe first penetrated the Sun's Corona during its 8th flyby on April 28, 2021, at 18.8 solar radii (13 million km) above the solar surface.

Today's encounter and the last one are at less than half that distance.

Let's hope it catches a solar flare or CME

https://parkersolarprobe.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/Show-Article.php?articleID=173
3/n

The Parker Solar Probe actually ploughed thru a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), the powerful explosion of solar magnetic fields and plasma, on Sep 5, 2022, a day before perihelion #13.

On that day, a CME erupted right in front of it, when it was ~15 solar radii from the Sun. The CME becomes visible at 14 sec into the video. PSP first skirted along the CME's flank, then passed into it, passed behind the leading edge of the explosion and exited out the other side.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF_e5eYgJ3Y
4/n

@AkaSci is the (impressive) sound generated from the imagery? - I didin't think they put mics on that probe!? :)

@rich
It is most likely a "sonification" of the data and variations in plasma density and magnetic field strength, rather than actual sound.

Some more info on the CME encounter by the Parker Solar Probe at
https://blogs.nasa.gov/parkersolarprobe/category/parker-solar-probe/page/2/