<ul><li>Nasa's Parker solar probe will make its closest ever approach to the sun on Christmas Eve, getting as close as 3.8 million miles from the surface.</li><li>Launched in 2018, the mission aims to deepen scientific understanding of the sun and forecast space weather events.</li><li>During the closest approach, the spacecraft will lose direct contact with Earth and rely on a beacon tone for confirmation.</li><li>The probe will endure scorching temperatures but its internal instruments will remain near room temperature as it explores the sun's corona.</li></ul>

Nasa solar probe to make its closest ever pass of sun on Christmas Eve

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