Solar Tour Pit Stop #12: At the Sun

At the Sun

Greetings from the Sun! Today is the final stop of our #SolarTour and we’ve got some big news from Parker Solar Probe.

Hot off the press!

We’ve touched the Sun! Parker Solar Probe is officially the first spacecraft to fly through the Sun’s upper atmosphere – the corona – sample particles and magnetic fields there. Flying so close to the Sun is revealing new things about our star, like where striking magnetic zig-zag structures in solar wind, called switchbacks, are born. Learn all about it: go.nasa.gov/3oU7Vlj

Sharing Parker’s journey

As Parker Solar Probe flew through the solar atmosphere, it scooped up a bit of plasma in a special instrument called a Faraday cup. NASA program scientist and project manager for the instrument Kelly Korreck, shares what it’s been like to be a part of the mission.

A Q&A with Kelly Korreck

We made it!

We’ve hit the end of the line – for now. But Parker Solar Probe will continue venturing closer to the solar surface in the coming years, bringing us new science and insight about our closest star.

Until then, we invite you to sing along with us as we recap the 12 days of the #SolarTour in a festive song!

Record yourself singing our lyrics, and if your submission catches our eye, we may feature your video! Here’s how to participate:

1. Record yourself singing our 12 Days of the #SolarTour song (lyrics below).
2. Share your video and tag us on Facebook (@NASASunScience) or Twitter (@NASASun) for a chance to be featured on NASA’s website and social media accounts!
3. If your submission catches our eye, we’ll be in touch to obtain permission for it to be considered for sharing from one of our social media accounts or other NASA digital products.

Here are the lyrics:

On the first day of solar tour
Our bright Sun let us see
A spacecraft launch from Kennedy

On the second day of solar tour
Our bright Sun let us see
A total eclipse
And a spacecraft launch from Kennedy

On the third day of solar tour 
Our bright Sun let us see
An electric atmosphere
A total eclipse
And a spacecraft launch from Kennedy

On the fourth day of solar tour
Our bright Sun let us see
Dancing aurora
An electric atmosphere
A total eclipse
And a spacecraft launch from Kennedy

On the fifth day of solar tour
Our bright Sun let us see
The magnetosphere
Dancing aurora
An electric atmosphere
A total eclipse
And a spacecraft launch from Kennedy

On the sixth day of solar tour
Our bright Sun let us see
Satellites a-zooming
The magnetosphere
Dancing aurora
An electric atmosphere
A total eclipse
And a spacecraft launch from Kennedy

On the seventh day of solar tour
Our bright Sun let us see
Dust and plasma drifting
Satellites a-zooming
The magnetosphere
Dancing aurora
An electric atmosphere
A total eclipse
And a spacecraft launch from Kennedy

On the eighth day of solar tour
Our bright Sun let us see
Venus that we’re passing
Dust and plasma drifting
Satellites a-zooming
The magnetosphere
Dancing aurora
An electric atmosphere
A total eclipse
And a spacecraft launch from Kennedy

On the ninth day of solar tour
Our bright Sun let us see
Solar wind a-blowing
Venus that we’re passing
Dust and plasma drifting
Satellites a-zooming
The magnetosphere
Dancing aurora
An electric atmosphere
A total eclipse
And a spacecraft launch from Kennedy

On the tenth day of solar tour
Our bright Sun let us see A solar cycle growing
Solar wind a-blowing
Venus that we’re passing
Dust and plasma drifting
Satellites a-zooming
The magnetosphere
Dancing aurora
An electric atmosphere
A total eclipse
And a spacecraft launch from Kennedy

On the eleventh day of solar tour
Our bright Sun let us see
Switchbacks are snapping
A solar cycle growing
Solar wind a-blowing
Venus that we’re passing
Dust and plasma drifting
Satellites a-zooming
The magnetosphere
Dancing aurora
An electric atmosphere
A total eclipse
And a spacecraft launch from Kennedy

On the twelfth day of solar tour
Our bright Sun let us see
We touched our Sun
Switchbacks are snapping
A solar cycle growing
Solar wind a-blowing
Venus that we’re passing
Dust and plasma drifting
Satellites a-zooming
The magnetosphere
Dancing aurora
An electric atmosphere
A total eclipse
And a spacecraft launch from Kennedy

Solar Tour Pit Stop #11: Near the Sun

Near the Sun

We’re nearing the end of our solar tour, which means we’re getting closer to the star of the show! We sent Parker Solar Probe to the Sun to investigate some of our star’s biggest mysteries. The closer we get, the more discoveries we make.

The Sun’s hottest mystery

One of the big questions we hope to answer with Parker Solar Probe is the coronal heating problem: the mystery of why the Sun’s atmosphere is much, much hotter than the surface below – just the opposite of what we would expect. In this story, learn more about one of the hottest questions in solar science.

Parker Solar Probe’s first discoveries

So far, Parker Solar Probe’s discoveries include zig-zagging magnetic switchbacks and our solar system’s elusive dust-free zone. Revisit the mission’s first batch of results.

You’re getting warmer…

Now that we’re approaching the Sun, we have just one more stop to go on our solar tour where we have a big announcement!

Follow NASA’s #SolarTour on Twitter and Facebook!

Solar Tour Pit Stop #10: The Solar Cycle

The Solar Cycle

Everything we’ve seen so far on the solar tour has been shaped by the Sun’s activity, which ebbs and flows over an 11-year cycle. To understand the Sun’s effects on space, we need to get to the bottom of the solar cycle.

How one scientist predicts the solar cycle

Solar scientist Lisa Upton builds computer models to predict how strong a solar cycle will be. It’s her favorite part of her job – and important work for helping us plan and prepare for space weather events.

Learn how she makes solar cycle predictions and why she loves studying the Sun.

Tracking the solar cycle

Tracking the solar cycle is a huge effort. It takes measurements of the Sun’s magnetic fields, complex models, and – most importantly – daily hand-drawn maps of the Sun’s surface. In this story, learn how scientists around the world track the solar cycle.

Sketching the Sun

To track the solar cycle’s progress, scientists rely on observers who draw the Sun’s surface by hand, every day! Want to sketch one of your own?
Visit the latest from our SDO and see whether the Sun has sunspots today (scroll to HMI Intensitygram): https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/

Follow NASA’s #SolarTour on Twitter and Facebook!

Solar Tour Pit Stop #9: The Solar Wind

The Solar Wind

Ah, the solar wind – that steady stream of particles our Sun sheds to space. The solar wind fills every nook and cranny of interstellar space, pelting planetary atmospheres and shaping their long-term fate.

Space weather

Hey Parker, how’s the weather out there?

There’s weather in space – but we’re not talking rain or snow. The solar wind can trigger magnetic storms with dangerous effects on astronauts, satellites and even our power grid.

Curious about space weather? Your questions, answered.

The Solar Wind at Earth

“If the Sun sneezes, Earth catches a cold.”

The solar wind keeps us in touch with what’s happening on the Sun. More on how it affects us here on Earth and how Parker protects itself in space.

Solar wind speed

Even the slowest solar wind travels about 186 miles per second.

At that speed, we’ll be at our next stop in a jiffy!

Follow NASA’s #SolarTour on Twitter and Facebook!

Solar Tour Pit Stop #8: Venus

A Swing by Venus

Greetings from the solar tour! We have arrived at Venus.

Venus and Earth are twins, both rocky and similar size and structure. Studying Venus helps scientists understand what makes Venus inhospitable and Earth habitable.

But Venus is closer to the Sun, and spacecraft that have flown there in the past have only survived a few hours.

The sounds of Venus

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is traveling to study the Sun, and flies by Venus to help slingshot it closer to our star.

During a recent flyby of Venus, Parker found that the planet’s upper atmosphere goes through surprising changes over the Sun’s 11-year activity cycle.

More on what Parker “heard” from Venus

Venus’ nightside

Flying by Venus can give unique and expected views of the inner solar system.

While flying by Venus, Parker Solar Probe captured this view of Venus’ nightside.

The WISPR instrument captured the image in July 2020 from 7,693 miles away from the planet. More on Parker’s stunning view.

Falling towards the Sun

Thanks to Venus’ gravity, we’ve slowed our orbit to fall even closer to the Sun. Onwards!

Follow NASA’s #SolarTour on Twitter and Facebook!

Solar Tour Pit Stop #7: Interplanetary Space

The Space Between

Hello from interplanetary space!

This solar tour stop may seem empty, but there’s more than meets the eye.

Empty space, full of plasma

If you look closely, the space between the planets is filled with dust, particles, magnetic fields and a mysterious substance called plasma. Hear from scientists Doug Rowland and Don Gurnett as we journey through this mysterious and electrifying substance.

Weird space

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know space is weird. But just how weird might surprise you. Space is dominated by invisible electromagnetic forces that we typically don’t feel. It’s also full of a bizarre state of matter that we don’t usually experience on Earth.

Here are five unearthly things that happen in outer space.

Kickin’ up dust

Just as dust gathers in corners and along bookshelves in our homes, dust piles up in interplanetary space, too.

Dust is dispersed throughout the entire solar system, but it collects in rings around the orbits of Earth and Venus. By studying this dust, scientists seek clues to understanding the birth of planets and the composition of all that we see in the solar system.

Follow NASA’s #SolarTour on Twitter and Facebook!

Solar Tour Pit Stop #6: L1

Float with NASA’s Fleet at Lagrange Point 1!

Greetings from Lagrange Point 1, or L1, the 6th stop on our solar tour! This is a special place between Earth and the Sun where their gravitational forces are balanced. It’s a great spot for spacecraft because they’ll stay put between the two objects and orbit with Earth, no fuel required.

Q&A with a solar expert

The spacecraft with us here at L1 play a key role in helping us understand the structure of the Sun. Learn more about studying the Sun from afar with solar scientist Ruizhu Chen.

Dr. Chen on studying the Sun

L1, 25 years on

There’s a lot happening on the surface of our Sun, too, and L1 offers a great view of that as well. Equipped with a special tool to see the Sun’s outer atmosphere, NASA’s SOHO mission has been watching the Sun for over 25 years from L1. Check out this video for a glimpse of our star through the decades.

Keep floatin’

That’s a wrap on our time at L1, but in theory we could stay here forever.

We’re now halfway through the Solar Tour before our big announcement. Come back tomorrow for our next stop!

Follow NASA’s #SolarTour on Twitter and Facebook!

Solar Tour Pit Stop #5: Earth’s Magnetosphere

Earth’s Protective Shield

Today on our solar tour, we’re exploring the magnetosphere – the last stop before heading into space! Earth’s magnetosphere is created by our planet’s molten core and protects us from the solar wind, the constant stream of radiation and charged particles coming from the Sun!

We’re not alone (magnetically speaking)

Earth isn’t the only object in our solar system with a magnetosphere! This protective shield may be essential for the development of conditions friendly to life, so finding magnetospheres around other planets is a big step toward determining if they could support life.

In this story, learn how not all magnetospheres are created equal.

Magnetic Sun

Earth has a magnetosphere – and so does our Sun!

Before becoming a Delta State University professor and director of the Wiley Planetarium, solar scientist Maria Weber studied how magnetism makes its way to the Sun’s surface by connecting what we see on the surface to what’s happening below. This could help scientists predict solar storms, protecting people and technology on Earth and in space.

Maria Weber Shares the Wonders of Physics and Astronomy

Onward to space!

NASA studies the magnetosphere to better understand its role in our space environment, which can help us learn about the nature of space throughout the universe.

Tomorrow on our solar tour, we’ll head out into space.

Follow NASA’s #SolarTour on Twitter and Facebook!

Solar Tour Pit Stop #4: Aurora

Earth’s Polar Light Show

Welcome to the next stop on the solar tour!

Auroras are the bright lights seen at Earth’s north and south poles.

Energy and particles from the Sun travel to Earth and interact with our planet’s magnetic field. This interaction causes the colorful lights seen in auroras.

Meet STEVE

People around the poles observe auroras in the night sky!

Through @TweetAurora, anyone can contribute to aurora science as a citizen scientist! Citizen scientists take photos and help track when and where auroras appear.

Sometimes they discover something entirely new. Like STEVE:

Learn more about STEVE

Launching through the leak

NASA scientists study a strange type of aurora in the Arctic. When these auroras shine, part of Earth’s atmosphere leaks into space!

Scientists launch rockets through these auroras to better understand the phenomenon.

Act fast!

Scientists study auroras because it can give us an insight on how our planet’s magnetosphere reacts to space weather.

We often launch rockets into the aurora because the dancing colors can be fleeting.

Caption: A NASA-funded GREECE sounding rocket launches into an aurora in the early morning of March 3, 2014, over Venetie, Alaska. The GREECE mission studies how certain structures – classic curls like swirls of cream in coffee – form in the aurora.
Credit: NASA/Christopher Perry

Follow NASA’s #SolarTour on Twitter and Facebook!

Solar Tour Pit Stop #3: Earth’s Upper Atmosphere

Earth’s Interface to Space

Welcome to Earth’s upper atmosphere, where things get weird.

Home to:

Earth’s hottest (4,500 degrees F) AND coldest (-120 degrees F) temperatures
50 tons of incoming meteors, daily
Air that is literally electric
Satellite communications

The ionosphere

Lucky for us, the Sun’s most harmful rays don’t reach the ground.

Instead they’re absorbed by Earth’s upper atmosphere. That extra energy breaks atoms into charged particles, creating the electrifying ionosphere.

Earth’s highest clouds

These wispy, high-flying clouds are a perfect blend of Earth and space: they form when water vapor from our air freezes around tiny grains of space dust.

Known as polar mesospheric clouds, NASA’s AIM satellite studies them for subtle clues about changes in our upper atmosphere.