2018 First Photo Inside Sun Corona

A new chapter in solar exploration: Parker Solar Probe’s historic image from within the corona.

In 2018, NASA's Parker Solar Probe achieved a groundbreaking milestone by capturing the first-ever image from inside the Sun's corona. Using the Wide-field Imager for Solar Probe (WISPR) instrument, the spacecraft documented a coronal streamer—a structure of solar material within the Sun's atmosphere, typically seen over regions of heightened solar activity. The image revealed a clear fine structure, with at least two rays visible, highlighting the probe’s extraordinary ability to detail solar phenomena. Mercury, shining brightly near the center of the image, provides a point of reference, while dark spots seen in the image are results of background correction.

This mission, enabled by revolutionary heat-resistant technologies allowing the probe to withstand temperatures exceeding 1,000°C, marked a major advancement in both solar research and photography. The Parker Solar Probe’s ability to venture closer to the Sun than any previous mission not only expanded our understanding of solar dynamics but also reinforced the critical role of imaging techniques in pushing the boundaries of science and technology.

Credit: NASA/NRL/Parker Solar Probe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Author: Parker Solar Probe, NASA/Naval Research Laboratory
Title: Unknown
Date: 12 December 2018, 06:45:12
Archive: NASA/NRL/Parker Solar Probe
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Original file: 2,091 × 2,225 pixels, file size: 5.58 MB, MIME type: image/jpeg
Available information: The photograph was taken by the Parker Solar Probe passing just 8.1 million miles above the solar surface. It is the first photograph from inside the sun’s corona. Taken by the Navel Research Laboratory WISPR camera with two wide-field white-light imaging instruments. The WISPR camera is the only imager on the Parker Solar Probe, which launched in August 2018. The photograph was taken on its first pass through the sun. The film is from the inner camera on the 7th pass.

Credit: WISPR/NRL/NASA open source data, orbit07_inner_GM567