NASA space probe touched the sun for the first time

A NASA space probe “touched” the sun for the first time in history by flying through the upper atmosphere of this astro (the corona) and taking samples of particles and magnetic fields in that place, the aerospace agency reported Tuesday. .

This is the first time a spacecraft has entered the outer borders of the sun, where the Parker Solar Probe remained for five hours.

“That the probe has touched the sun is a culmination for solar science and an extraordinary feat,” said in a statement the associate administrator of the scientific mission board of NASA, Thomas Zurbuchen.

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For the scientist, this achievement will allow researchers to better understand the evolution of the sun king and its impacts on the solar system, in addition to being able to extrapolate all the new knowledge obtained to the stars of the rest of the universe.

In mid-July, data collected by the Parker Solar Probe allowed scientists to make the first definitive measurements of our star’s electric field.

A study published at the time offered details of its interaction with the solar wind, which is a continuous flow of energetic particles emitted by the solar corona and that can affect activities on Earth, from satellites to telecommunications.

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The Parker Solar Probe was launched in 2018 in the direction of the Sun and it got closer and closer.

The electric field of the sun arises from the interaction that is generated between protons and electrons when hydrogen atoms are detached due to the intense heat of fusion in the depths of the star.

In this environment, electrons, with a mass 1,800 times less than that of protons, shoot outwards, being less limited by gravity than protons, but these, with their positive charge, manage to stop some electrons. (I)