NASA’s Parker Solar Probe made history on Christmas Eve by coming within 3.8 million miles of the sun’s surface, the closest any spacecraft has ever gotten.

The probe reached speeds of 430,000 mph, setting a new record for the fastest human-made object.

Launched in 2018, Parker’s mission aims to uncover the sun’s mysteries, such as the cause of its hot outer atmosphere and the origins of solar wind.

It has already entered the sun’s corona and will begin sending back data in January.

The probe is equipped with a special heat shield to withstand extreme heat and radiation, NPR has reported.

Named after scientist Eugene Parker, the mission is revolutionizing our understanding of the sun.

Written by B.C. Begley