NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is set to perform its closest flyby of the sun on December 24, 2024, at 6:53 a.m. EST. The spacecraft, which launched in 2018, will approach within 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometres) of the solar surface, setting a record for the nearest distance a human-made object has travelled to a star. Travelling at an extraordinary speed of 430,000 mph (692,000 kph), the probe will traverse the sun’s corona, collecting data on its high-temperature environment.

Mission Details and Flyby Preparations

The Parker Solar Probe, managed by NASA and designed at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (JHUAPL), has completed 21 previous solar encounters and seven flybys of Venus, as per a report by Parker Solar Space. The upcoming event marks the 22nd solar approach in its mission to deepen the understanding of the sun’s outer atmosphere. According to Nick Pinkine, mission operations manager at JHUAPL, the probe will provide unprecedented data from regions no spacecraft has explored before.

As part of its preparations, the probe sent a final transmission to Earth on December 20, signalling all systems are functioning normally, according to reports. Contact with the spacecraft will remain offline until December 27, when it is expected to send a health status update. Comprehensive science data, including telemetry, will begin to arrive in January 2025, as per reports.

Engineering to Withstand Extreme Temperatures

During the flyby, the spacecraft will endure temperatures reaching 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit (980 degrees Celsius). Its advanced heat shield, constructed from carbon foam, ensures the probe’s instruments remain at near room temperature while withstanding up to 1,377 degrees Celsius.

Future of the Mission

As per reports, two additional close solar flybys are planned for March 22 and June 19, 2025. Decisions regarding the spacecraft’s trajectory and continued operations are expected after the primary mission concludes. The Parker Solar Probe’s findings aim to address critical questions about the sun’s behaviour, contributing to the broader understanding of solar phenomena.

In findings shared through The Astrophysical Journal, NASA scientists have uncovered an extraordinary black hole in galaxy NGC 5084. Located around 80 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo, the black hole has been observed lying at a 90-degree tilt relative to the galactic plane. Using archival data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory and imagery from the Hubble Space Telescope, the research team identified twin plasma plumes forming a striking “X” shape, an unprecedented phenomenon in astronomical observations, as per reports.

Unusual Discovery Sparks Investigation

The discovery was attributed to a novel image analysis method, known as Selective Amplification of Ultra Noisy Astronomical Signal (SAUNAS), enabling researchers to detect faint X-ray emissions. The study team noted this departure from the typical spherical distribution of X-rays, indicating a significant and previously undetected event in the galaxy’s history.

Dr Pamela Marcum, an astrophysicist at NASA’s Ames Research Center, explained in a statement, that the unusual cross-shaped structure of the X-ray plumes, coupled with the tilted dusty disk, provides unique insights into the galaxy’s past.

A Cosmic Collision Hypothesised

Further analysis through the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) confirmed the presence of a dusty ring at the galactic core, rotated in alignment with the black hole’s tilt. The alignment and structural anomalies suggest that NGC 5084 may have experienced a collision with another galaxy, generating plasma outflows above and below its plane.

Dr Alejandro Serrano Borlaff, also from Ames Research Center, stated that the combination of observations across multiple wavelengths revealed the dynamic and transformative events that have shaped this galaxy.

This discovery underscores the potential of archived data, dating back decades, when combined with modern processing techniques. Researchers anticipate that ongoing studies will unravel more details about the violent event that altered NGC 5084’s structure and orientation.