Parker Solar Probe Provides Closest, Most Spectacular Views Ever Of The Sun

 

Artist's conception of Parker Solar Probe approaching the Sun.

                       Still image of CME eruption as captured by Parker Probe.

It seems like only yesterday I was predicting spectacular views of the Sun when (and IF)  the Parker solar probe approached within 4 million miles. And that post was back on June 3, 2017, eight years ago.  Now, in recent news we learn this marvelous space craft has actually flown 3.8 million miles above the Sun's surface - back in December.  But the fruits of that close approach have only recently been released. Among the most sensational are three coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in close succession - which you can get a perspective of in this dynamic video:

NASA's Parker Solar Probe's Closest Images of the Sun

But that's not all.  The Heliospheric current sheet - part of the solar wind- is also seen and adds to the unique perspective. In the images, the heliospheric current sheet can be seen more clearly and brightly than other parts of the solar wind. From about 90 million miles away, other images showed the current sheet as just a bright ray.

The images were collected when the Parker Solar Probe made its closest approach to the sun on Dec. 24. At 3.8 million miles away, it flew through the solar atmosphere at 430,000 mph — a record speed for any human-made object. After about two days, it sent a signal back to Earth and indicated that it not only survived the historic journey but was also operating normally. The onboard camera, called the Wide-Field Imager for Solar Probe, or WISPR, collected numerous snapshots still to be released.

Something humans are now seeing - at this time and place- for the first time in human history. Our own star on which all life depends, heaving in spectacular eruptions that dwarf our world.  But get set because this is not the end, and at least one more close approach is expected - again, assuming the Trump bunch doesn't cut space-NASA spending too much!

According to project scientist Nour Rawafi of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, which built and operates the spacecraft:

“These successive events coming from the sun actually are the biggest threat to Earth in terms of space weather,” 

He wasn't just whistling Dixie.  When successive events - such as CMEs - combine as we see in the released video, they can trigger powerful geomagnetic storms on Earth.  One of the most powerful lashed Quebec in 1989.  Induction currents of up to 1 million amps shut down the Quebec power grid for hours causing no end of consternation.

See Also:

NASA captures closest-ever images of the sun

And:

Brane Space: Parker Solar Probe Provides Hitherto Unknown Insights Into The Corona

And:

Brane Space: 'Magnetic Switchbacks' Now The Focus Of Parker Solar Probe's Plumbing of Solar Corona

And:

Brane Space: Coronal Mass Ejections In The Context Of Collisionless Shocks

And:

Brane Space: Can We Predict Geomagnetic Deviations In The Earth's Magnetic Field?