Radiolab Probing Where the Sun Does Shine: A Holiday Special
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Dec 24, 2024 This holiday special takes you on a celestial journey, exploring how a groundbreaking NASA mission investigates the sun's mysteries. Experience the inspiration behind a heartfelt poem written for Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, by the U.S. Poet Laureate. Join in on a global naming contest for a quasi-moon, blending community engagement with cosmic curiosity. Discover personal stories intertwined with universal themes, connecting humanity to the cosmos through innovation and creativity.
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Noor's Childhood Fascination
- Noor Raouafi, a scientist at Johns Hopkins, developed a fascination with space as a child in Tunisia.
- The unpolluted night sky and the sun's heat captivated him, leading to experiments with light and lenses.
The Sun's Temperature Mystery
- The sun's surface is about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Moving just a few thousand miles away, the temperature jumps to millions of degrees, a puzzling phenomenon.
The Heat Shield
- The Parker Solar Probe uses a 4.5-inch-thick carbon foam heat shield.
- This shield can withstand temperatures of 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit on one side while keeping the other side at 700 degrees.