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Parker Solar Probe Sets Record, Unlocks Solar Mysteries

2/16/2026

Summary

Story summary

NASA's Parker Solar Probe has approached the Sun closer than any previous spacecraft, marking a milestone.
Launched in 2018, the probe reached about 3.8 million miles from the Sun's surface to study solar wind and heating.
The data, published in Geophysical Research Letters, helps explain how solar wind gains energy and accelerates.
The findings improve predictions of space weather events, such as coronal mass ejections, which can disrupt technology on Earth.

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Story summary

NASA's Parker Solar Probe has approached the Sun closer than any previous spacecraft, marking a milestone.
Launched in 2018, the probe reached about 3.8 million miles from the Sun's surface to study solar wind and heating.
The data, published in Geophysical Research Letters, helps explain how solar wind gains energy and accelerates.
The findings improve predictions of space weather events, such as coronal mass ejections, which can disrupt technology on Earth.