Today’s Solutions: March 16, 2025

NASA’s Perseverance rover isn’t the only mission making headlines this week. According to scientists, the Parker Solar Probe has officially touched the sun for the first time.

The solar probe has come close to the sun several times over the past few months, but had yet to be successful. According to researchers, the Parker Probe’s ability to sense conditions in the corona, the magnetically dominated layer of the solar atmosphere, is what allowed it to finally make contact. The probe is equipped with a camera, a probe, tools to measure the corona’s electromagnetic fields, and a protective heat shield.

“Parker Solar Probe ‘touching the sun’ is a monumental moment for solar science and a truly remarkable feat,” said associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Thomas Zurbuchen. The probe will take 14 more trips to the sun and cover 3.8 million more miles before it’s officially retired in 2025.

The probe’s main scientific goal was to figure out where solar winds originate from. This data has allowed researchers to confirm that these winds do indeed originate right at the surface of the sun.

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

How to be a better conversationalist

A meaningful conversation is the best way to build a connection with someone, but simply conjuring up such a conversation is not always easy—especially ...

Read More

Don’t throw away that greasy pizza box! Recycle it

If you’ve long tossed your pizza boxes into the trash, figuring—along with many other Americans—that the grease and cheese leftover on the cardboard meant ...

Read More

A neuroscientist’s 4 favorite ways to decompress

Negative feelings have a way of creeping up on us, particularly if we find ourselves in an especially emotionally charged situation. If you find ...

Read More

Art preserves endangered flora in Himalayas—where conservation and culture co...

"In 2002, I was returning to Kalimpong in the eastern Himalaya region of India, and I found numerous trees had been cut down for ...

Read More