According to the US Space Agency, the probe came within 3.8 million miles of the Sun's surface, while moving at 430,000 miles per hour.

Early on Christmas Eve in 2024, a NASA craft swooped at blazing speed through the sun's atmosphere.

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe made its closest approach to the sun early Tuesday, getting within just 4% of the Earth-sun distance — a feat compared to the '69 moon landing.

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is expected to make history by flying into the sun’s outer atmosphere, called the corona, on a mission to help scientists learn more about Earth’s closest star. “No human-made object has ever passed this close to a star,

NASA's pioneering Parker Solar Probe made history Tuesday, flying closer to the sun than any other spacecraft, with its heat shield exposed to scorching temperatures topping 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit (930 degrees Celsius).

The Parker Solar Probe is expected to pass within an "unprecedented" 3.86 million miles of the solar surface on Dec. 24, according to NASA. "It's about to be on its closest approach to the sun," Rayl said.

The mission control team is eagerly awaiting a signal from Parker on December 27, which will confirm the spacecraft's successful completion of the flyby and its continued operation.

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has made its closest fly-by of the sun yet, allowing it to collect samples that may unlock mysteries such as why the sun’s outermost layer — the corona — is so hot.

The concept of touching the Sun can be traced back to the ancient Greek myth of Icarus, but scientists at NASA have turned that idea into a reality. On Dec. 24th, their Parker Solar Probe managed to travel to just within 3.