Touching the Sun
The Statesman|December 30, 2024
The Sun, the fiery heart of our solar system, has fascinated humanity for centuries.

Despite the progress of modern science, many of its secrets remain locked away, particularly the mysteries of its outer atmosphere, the corona. NASA's Parker Solar Probe's record-breaking journey to within 3.8 million miles of the Sun marks a monumental step toward unravelling these enigmas, demonstrating both technological prowess and the enduring human drive to explore the unknown.

One of the mission's most intriguing aspects is its focus on the corona, a region hotter than the Sun's surface itself. While the Sun's surface temperature is about 6,000°C, the corona can reach millions of degrees. This counterintuitive phenomenon, where a region farther from the Sun's core is exponentially hotter, has perplexed scientists for decades.

This story is from the December 30, 2024 edition of The Statesman.

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This story is from the December 30, 2024 edition of The Statesman.

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