Parker Solar Probe Orbit From August 2018 - March 2019

This animation shows the first few orbits of Parker Solar Probe from August 2018 to March 2019 which includes two encounters with Venus. Note that the last orbit in this animation goes closer to the Sun than the early ones. This is because Parker Solar Probe uses “gravity assists” from Venus to modify its orbit to bring it closer to the Sun. The perihelion of the first orbit is about 35 solar radii whereas the perihelia of the final three orbits (December 2024 to June 2025) are less than 10 solar radii.

Credit: NASA/JPL/WISPR Team