In a groundbreaking moment for solar science, NASA has released the closest-ever images of the Sun, captured by the Parker Solar Probe during its nearest approach in December 2024.
The stunning visuals show detailed eruptions of plasma and streams of solar wind, providing unprecedented insight into the star’s outer atmosphere and the dynamics of space weather.
The images were taken by the spacecraft’s Wide-Field Imager for Solar Probe (WISPR) as it flew just 3.8 million miles from the Sun’s surface—a feat that marks a historic achievement in space exploration. By comparison, if the distance between Earth and the Sun were scaled to one foot, the Parker probe would be just half an inch away.
“This is something we’ve been anticipating since the late 1950s,” said Nour Rawafi, project scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. Named after physicist Eugene Parker, who first proposed the concept of solar wind in 1958, the probe launched in 2018 and recently entered its final orbit, approaching the Sun every 88 days.
Despite the extreme conditions, Parker’s heat shield—designed to withstand temperatures up to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit—has faced lower-than-expected heat levels, peaking at around 2,000°F. Just behind the shield, the onboard instruments remain at near room temperature.
The newly released images reveal massive coronal mass ejections (CMEs)—giant eruptions of charged particles—piling up on one another, a dynamic never seen so clearly before. These eruptions are key drivers of space weather and were behind the spectacular auroras witnessed globally in May 2025.
The footage also showcases the solar wind following the heliospheric current sheet, a wavy, skirt-like boundary where the Sun’s magnetic field reverses polarity. Understanding this feature is vital for predicting how solar storms travel through the solar system and impact Earth.
The timing of these discoveries is critical. As the Sun begins moving toward the minimum of its 11-year activity cycle—expected in five to six years—scientists anticipate some of the most extreme solar events could occur, much like the intense Halloween storms of 2003 that forced astronauts to take shelter on the International Space Station.
Rawafi says the potential to capture major eruptions during this period is especially exciting. With Parker’s fuel reserves exceeding expectations, the spacecraft could continue to operate for years, until its solar panels can no longer power its systems. When that time comes, it will gradually break apart, eventually merging with the solar wind it was built to study.
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