Puzzle Page #4: 33
You found it!
Congratulations on finding today's 3.8 digital souvenir sticker.
Thank you for joining Parker Solar Probe's journey as it gets closer to the Sun than ever before. Let the world know you’ve solved the puzzle by posting this sticker using hashtag #3point8.
But shhhhhh! This webpage is secret, so don't share the link to this page!
We’ll share a new sticker on a different secret webpage every day from December 17-24, 2024, so watch for new daily puzzles to solve to download other souvenir stickers.
Learn more about the #3point8 Challenge.
Today's Puzzle Answer: 33
During its encounter with the Sun on Dec. 24, 2024, Parker Solar Probe will be traveling about 430,000 mph—fast enough to get from Washington, D.C. to Philadelphia in about one second, or from the Earth to the Moon in about 33 minutes. During the encounter it will break its own record, re-setting the bar for the fastest human-made object in history.
But the trick to getting to the Sun isn't speeding up, it's slowing down!
Earth stays in orbit around the Sun because it moves fast relative to the Sun. Parker needed to lose some of that momentum so it could "fall" closer to the Sun. To make that happen, Parker launched against the direction Earth orbits the Sun, canceling out some of Earth's orbital velocity. Parker has also completed seven Venus flybys, allowing the planet's gravity to help slow the spacecraft down.
Learn more about Parker's Venus flybys.
Learn more about the #3point8 Challenge.