At the Sun Greetings from the Sun! Today is the final stop of our #SolarTour and we've got some big news from Parker Solar Probe. Hot off the press! We've touched the Sun! Parker Solar Probe is officially the first spacecraft to fly through the Sun's upper atmosphere – the corona – sample particles and …
Near the Sun We're nearing the end of our solar tour, which means we're getting closer to the star of the show! We sent Parker Solar Probe to the Sun to investigate some of our star's biggest mysteries. The closer we get, the more discoveries we make. The Sun's hottest mystery One of the big …
The Solar Cycle Everything we've seen so far on the solar tour has been shaped by the Sun's activity, which ebbs and flows over an 11-year cycle. To understand the Sun's effects on space, we need to get to the bottom of the solar cycle. How one scientist predicts the solar cycle Solar scientist Lisa …
The Solar Wind Ah, the solar wind – that steady stream of particles our Sun sheds to space. The solar wind fills every nook and cranny of interstellar space, pelting planetary atmospheres and shaping their long-term fate. Space weather Hey Parker, how's the weather out there? There's weather in space – but we're not talking …
A Swing by Venus Greetings from the solar tour! We have arrived at Venus. Venus and Earth are twins, both rocky and similar size and structure. Studying Venus helps scientists understand what makes Venus inhospitable and Earth habitable. But Venus is closer to the Sun, and spacecraft that have flown there in the past have …
The Space Between Hello from interplanetary space! This solar tour stop may seem empty, but there's more than meets the eye. Empty space, full of plasma If you look closely, the space between the planets is filled with dust, particles, magnetic fields and a mysterious substance called plasma. Hear from scientists Doug Rowland and Don …
Float with NASA's Fleet at Lagrange Point 1! Greetings from Lagrange Point 1, or L1, the 6th stop on our solar tour! This is a special place between Earth and the Sun where their gravitational forces are balanced. It's a great spot for spacecraft because they'll stay put between the two objects and orbit with …
Earth's Protective Shield Today on our solar tour, we're exploring the magnetosphere – the last stop before heading into space! Earth's magnetosphere is created by our planet's molten core and protects us from the solar wind, the constant stream of radiation and charged particles coming from the Sun! We're not alone (magnetically speaking) Earth isn't …
Earth's Polar Light Show Welcome to the next stop on the solar tour! Auroras are the bright lights seen at Earth's north and south poles. Energy and particles from the Sun travel to Earth and interact with our planet's magnetic field. This interaction causes the colorful lights seen in auroras. Meet STEVE People around the …
Earth's Interface to Space Welcome to Earth's upper atmosphere, where things get weird. Home to: Earth's hottest (4,500 degrees F) AND coldest (-120 degrees F) temperatures 50 tons of incoming meteors, daily Air that is literally electric Satellite communications The ionosphere Lucky for us, the Sun's most harmful rays don't reach the ground. Instead they're …
