<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A NASA spacecraft aims to fly closer to the sun than any object sent before.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Parker Solar Probe was launched in 2018 to get a close-up look at the sun. Since then, it has flown straight through the sun's corona: the outer atmosphere visible during a total solar eclipse.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The next milestone: the closest approach to the sun. Plans call for Parker this week to hurtle through the sizzling solar atmosphere and pass within a record-breaking six million kilometres of the sun's surface.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-navy-pilots-shot-down-over-red-sea-in-apparent-friendly-fire-incident-us-military-says/dd02b401-1802-49d1-8ff1-7ea3b331c5f5" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>US Navy pilots shot down by 'friendly fire' over Red Sea</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>At that moment, if the sun and Earth were at opposite ends of a football field, Parker "would be on the four-yard line," said NASA's Joe Westlake.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Mission managers won't know how Parker fared until days after the flyby since the spacecraft will be out of communication range.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Parker planned to get more than seven times closer to the sun than previous spacecraft, hitting 690,000km/hr at closest approach. It's the fastest spacecraft ever built and is outfitted with a heat shield that can withstand scorching temperatures up to 1371 degrees.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/nasa-solar-probe-to-fly-closest-distance-to-sun-ever/a819f725-d7c8-4980-beb7-a86a8bca4089" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/pictures-from-automatic-camera-provide-first-look-at-uncontacted-amazon-community/fc6d6c5f-6ba0-43b2-a4b2-ec575906514d" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Pictures from automatic camera provide first look at uncontacted Amazon community</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="styles__Wrapper-sc-2o34ro-0 cmwkBV"><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><a href="/technology/2017/07/14/11/09/nasa-space-photos-stars-planets"><img alt="" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 636px, (min-width: 768px) 396px, 100vw" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/TrVya_wbdGKHaQPZhA6Tf1J_Bm4=/404x227:1595x897/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fdd1c4612-94bd-4edf-82f5-9941d59a76f4" srcset="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/TrVya_wbdGKHaQPZhA6Tf1J_Bm4=/404x227:1595x897/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fdd1c4612-94bd-4edf-82f5-9941d59a76f4 396w, https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/NKOu-sC-lUnyWHLwDnsFeBdq4Gw=/404x227:1595x897/636x358/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fdd1c4612-94bd-4edf-82f5-9941d59a76f4 636w"/></a></div><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><div class="styles__Headline-sc-2o34ro-4 hpbOlz">Galaxy named for a hat looks very different in new image</div><div class="styles__Button-sc-2o34ro-1 eBjlmW"><a class="styles__ButtonLink-sc-2o34ro-2 hqpklJ" href="/technology/2017/07/14/11/09/nasa-space-photos-stars-planets">View Gallery</a></div></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It'll continue circling the sun at this distance until at least September. Scientists hope to better understand why the corona is hundreds of times hotter than the sun's surface and what drives the solar wind, the supersonic stream of charged particles constantly blasting away from the sun.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The sun's warming rays make life possible on Earth. But severe solar storms can temporarily scramble radio communications and disrupt power.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The sun is currently at the maximum phase of its 11-year cycle, triggering colourful auroras in unexpected places.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It both is our closest, friendliest neighbour," Westlake said, "but also at times is a little angry."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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