Last year, the probe traveled closer to the searing orb than any spacecraft before, dipping into the corona just 6.5 million miles from the sun's surface. NASA is also conducting groundbreaking research on the sun with its Parker Solar Probe. The outer atmosphere of the Sun (which we dont really see with our eyes) gets extremely hot again, about 1.5 to 2 million degrees. This is cool for the Sun, but is actually about 16 times hotter than boiling water (ouch).

This defies most physics: Usually temperature drops as you move farther from a heat source. The surface of the Sun (what we see) is only 5800 degrees. Despite the corona being far away from the sun's surface, the outer atmosphere is hundreds of times hotter. The orbiter is also trying to get to the bottom of what causes the coronaвЂ™s extreme heat. The orbiter is studying the sun's magnetic activity and so-called solar wind, gases flowing off the sun that cause 'space weather.' Right now, scientists have a limited ability to forecast space weather, which can disrupt power grids, telecommunications, and GPS systems. That's one reason why the new photo, released this week, is so exceptional. To our eyes, the corona is usually hidden by the bright light of the sun's surface, making it difficult to see without special instruments. NASA captures the explosive moment a brilliant solar flare fired out of the sun NASA and ESA have released the closest ever images of the Sun, and they're mesmerizingДЄ billowing arc of plasma erupts from the sun in this first-of-its-kind image NASA probe speeds through the sun's atmosphere, captures scorching photo of Mercury The sun's corona reaches nearly 2 million degrees Fahrenheit.ДЄ spacecraft вЂtouchedвЂ™ the sun. The corona is usually hidden by the bright light of the Suns surface. The photo is a mosaic of 25 individual images layered to create one high-resolution spectacle, showcasing the furiously stewing cauldron of the solar system. The Short Answer: The Suns corona is the outermost part of the Suns atmosphere. The spacecraft shot it from within the orbit of Mercury, about 47 million miles from the sun. The Solar Orbiter, a collaborative mission of the European Space Agency and NASA launched in February 2020, snapped the new picture on March 7. Fortunately, there are high-powered telescopes that can do the dirty work: stare directly into the brightest object in the sky. The sun's brightness and radiation can cause retinal burns, heating and cooking the exposed tissue of the eye. You've heard it since you were a kid: Don't look at the sun unless you want to go blind. Space scientists have released the sharpest and most detailed picture of the sun and its outer atmosphere ever taken, revealing the jacket of gases enveloping the star, called the corona.

Sun corona disntance from surfave