Tasked with taking a closer look at the Sun’s outer layer, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has broken the record for the fastest-moving human-made object ever, set by the previous record-holder, Parker.
It was recorded that the probe was travelling at a speed of 635,266 kilometers per hour on June 29.
A MINUTE FROM ISTANBUL TO AUSTRALIA
According to the news in TRT News, this is the second time it has reached this speed since it was launched in 2018. Here we are talking about a speed about 500 times faster than the speed of sound.
It is expected to reach a maximum speed of approximately 692 thousand km/h when it comes closest to the Sun in 2025.
This is fast enough to get from Istanbul to Australia in about a minute.
Reaching these incredible speeds is all about timing and momentum.
Parker aligns with the orbit of Venus as it orbits the Sun, and uses the moving planet’s gravity to create a sort of gravity-powered slingshot.
The probe will eventually get very close to the swirling mass of ultrahot plasma surrounding the Sun and make many different measurements to help improve our scientific understanding.
Parker completed its 20th close approach, coming within 7.26 million kilometers of the layer of ionized gas thought to be the surface of the Sun.
Eventually, it is expected to approach 6.12 million kilometers.
