We’re about to fly a spacecraft into the Sun for the first time

NASA's Parker Solar Probe will make its closest approach yet to the Sun on Christmas Eve, marking its first flight into the solar atmosphere. It will come within 3.8 million miles (6.1 million km) of the solar surface, and scientists estimate its heat shield will endure temperatures above 2,500°F (1,371°C). The probe, which masses less than a metric ton, reaches about 430,000 miles per hour at its top speed. Nicky Fox, NASA's chief of science and former project scientist for the mission, says scientists want to understand the origins of the solar wind.