NASA Solar Probe To Make Its Closest Ever Pass Of Sun

This handout illustration obtained July 6, 2018 courtesy of NASA/Johns Hopkins APL shows an artist's conception of NASA's Parker Solar Probe (Credit: AFP)

NASA's pioneering Parker Solar Probe is poised to make its closest-ever approach of the Sun on Christmas Eve, a record-setting 3.8 million miles (6.2 million kilometers) from the surface.

Launched in August 2018, the spaceship is on a seven-year mission to deepen scientific understanding of our star and help forecast space-weather events that can affect life on Earth.