"NASA Probe Prepares to Touch the Sun During Earth's Eclipse"

While Earth prepares for a total solar eclipse, NASA's Parker Solar Probe is set to make its closest pass to the sun on December 24, coming within 3.8 million miles of the surface at speeds exceeding 430,000 miles per hour. The $1.4 billion mission aims to study the sun's atmosphere and solar wind, with the hope of better understanding space weather and its potential impact on Earth. The probe's advanced heat shield and innovative technology will allow it to withstand the extreme conditions, providing valuable data to address longstanding mysteries about the sun, including the coronal heating problem.