It is the closest any human-made object has come to the star at the centre of our solar system, with the probe experiencing temperatures of up to 982C (1,800F) and intense radiation.
Dr Nicola Fox, Nasa's head of science, said: "It is 3.8m miles from the sun's surface. It is breaking all of these records and it's a just a total 'Yay, we did it!' moment."
Launched in 2018, the Parker solar probe has spent the past few years completing 21 orbits around the sun, with flybys of Venus gradually shifting its path closer to our star.
The probe, which is the size of a small car, has been designed to make observations of the sun's upper atmosphere, known as the corona, and carries four instrument suites.
This story is from the December 28, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the December 28, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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