#parkersolarprobe

#parkersolarprobe

Beneath Its Thick Cover of Clouds, the Rocky Surface of Venus Glows Like a "Piece of Iron Pulled From a Forge"Venus’ rocky surface can clearly be seen in the images captured by NASA’s Parker Solar Probe. Thanks to the probe’s Wide-Field Imager (WISPR), the entire nightside of the planet was captured and combined into a video. The video revealed a faint glow from the surface. Continental regions, plains, and plateaus can also be seen on the planet. According to Nicola Fox, division director for the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters, the images can help experts learn more about the geology of the Earth’s twin. The insight the probe has given through these images has thrilled them. “Parker continues to outperform our expectations, and we are excited that these novel observations taken during our gravity assist maneuver can help advance Venus research in unexpected ways,” Fox added.The images are the first instance that the planet’s surface can be seen at visible wavelengths, as the surface is blocked by a thick atmosphere. The WISPR cameras were able to pick up the wavelengths that got through the clouds of Venus. Image credit: NASA/APL/NRL #space #Venus #science #WISPR #NASA #ParkerSolarProbe

For the First Time, a Spacecraft has Touched the SunThe Parker Solar Probe lifted off from earth in 2018. It headed to the sun and has been circling ever closer. Earlier this year, it got close enough to dip into the sun's corona. The sun has a much more complex structure than we normally visualize. Yes, it's a burning ball of gas, but there's a lot more to it. The sun has an atmosphere, in which gravity and magnetic forces hold material close. Above that atmosphere is the corona, where rising material escapes gravity and is pushed away from the sun as solar wind, never to return. The boundary between the atmosphere and the corona is called the Alfvén critical surface. In April, the Parker probe crossed that boundary. Getting closer to the sun, about 6.5 millions miles from the surface, the probe entered the pseudostreamer, where particles are held tightly to the sun. Scientists describe it as akin to entering the eye of a storm, where calm provides a contrast to the chaos surrounding it. Coronal streamers became visible, which are solar features seen from earth during an eclipse. In this video, you can see the streamers. Notice the Milky Way in the background.