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The Parker Solar Probe is about to undergo its seventh encounter with Venus on its journey towards the Sun. Here’s how fast it’ll go.
On September 30, 2024, the Parker Solar Probe reached its 21st perihelion: its closest approach to the Sun.
Presently, perihelion is only 7.87 million km (4.89 million miles) from the Sun’s surface.
Its novel heat shield enables science operations under these extreme conditions.
From closest approach, the Sun appears 28 times larger than terrestrial views.