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NASA releases first photo within the Sun's atmosphere (16.9 million miles from surface)

SoH

SoH

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,734
wispr-big.jpg

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/wispr-big.jpg

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/preparing-for-discovery-with-nasas-parker-solar-probe

This image from Parker Solar Probe's WISPR (Wide-field Imager for Solar Probe) instrument shows a coronal streamer, seen over the east limb of the Sun on Nov. 8, 2018, at 1:12 a.m. EST. Coronal streamers are structures of solar material within the Sun's atmosphere, the corona, that usually overlie regions of increased solar activity. The fine structure of the streamer is very clear, with at least two rays visible. Parker Solar Probe was about 16.9 million miles from the Sun's surface when this image was taken. The bright object near the center of the image is Mercury, and the dark spots are a result of background correction.
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That bright dot is Mercury. So we are seeing the Sun's light bouncing back towards itself. Absolutely unbelievable photo.

(Launch me into the Sun if old)
 
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onadesertedisland

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,660
Seeing this photo is kinda sad. It's amazing and I worry that we might never see anything quite as advanced again if we don't get our shit together.
 
less

less

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,838
The sheer scale of how big things can get in space will never cease to amaze me. How small Mercury is against this view of the sun is staggering. And then you realize just how small the sun is compared to the solar system.
 
_id

_id

Banned
Apr 18, 2018
212
What's mind boggling is that there are stars out there that dwarfs even the sun.
 
Granadier

Granadier

Member
Nov 4, 2018
1,605
Blows me away that a probe was able to get that close without melting AND send a photo back to Earth.

What an amazing shot.
 
Speely

Speely

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
7,996
What are the little black lines in the upper portion of the photo?

Edit: upon closer inspection, it seems like they might also be background correction.
 
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brainchild

Independent Developer
Verified
Nov 25, 2017
9,480
Lead said:
I don't think we're capable of comprehending the scale of these sizes.
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It's because the scale keeps changing so there's no consistent frame of reference.

Here's a video that locks the scale



Even though the sizes are inaccurate compared to real life, the fixed scale does help you comprehend all the different sizes within the same frame of reference.
 
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