Falling through the Solar System at an astonishing 635,266 kilometers (394,736 miles) per hour, NASA's Parker Solar Probe has just smashed the record for fastest object ever to be created by human hands.

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[–] Pons_Aelius@kbin.social 20 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

One the most counter-intuitive facts about the solar system is that the hardest place to visit is the Sun. It takes less energy (delta-V) to send a probe on its way to Alpha-Centuri than to the sun.

[–] MD756@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

Can you expand? Is it just because close proximity to the sun is so hostile? Takes more fuel to counter the sun’s “headwind?”

[–] calcopiritus@lemmy.world 13 points 2 years ago

The earth is moving at great speeds around the sun. If you want to go to the sun, you have to brake an equivalent amount. Otherwise you'd just orbit the sun (like the earth does).

So if you want to go to the sun from the earth, first you have to escape the earth, and then you have to counter all its speed.

[–] meyotch@slrpnk.net 7 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I don’t want to talk over the original comment, but I believe they were speaking specifically of delta-v, which is ‘change in velocity’. So you have to burn more fuel to visit the sun than you need to go the other way and leave the solar system.

[–] thepianistfroggollum@lemmynsfw.com 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

You are correct, that is what they meant

[–] BilboBargains@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago

People are really polite here

[–] Valmond@lemmy.mindoki.com 2 points 2 years ago

Can't you do a gravity sling thing?