NASA’s Parker Solar Probe completed its 17th close approach to the Sun yesterday Sept. 27, 2023 at 7:28 p.m. EDT. At perihelion, it was at a record distance of 7.26 million km from the solar surface, racing by at a record speed of 635,266 km/h.

The spacecraft will transmit science data from the encounter back to Earth from Oct 4 to Oct 19.

For comparison, the perihelion of planet Mercury is at 45.3 mil km.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/parkersolarprobe/2023/09/28/for-the-record-parker-solar-probe-sets-distance-speed-marks-on-17th-swing-by-the-sun/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Orbiter
#Parker #ParkerSolarProbe
1/n