NASA's Parker Solar Probe Finds Evidence Of A "Helicity Barrier" In The Sun's 2 Million Kelvin Atmosphere

A study analyzing data from NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has uncovered evidence of a “helicity barrier” in the Sun’s atmosphere.

In 2018, NASA launched the Parker Solar Probe on a trajectory that would eventually have it dive into the Sun's atmosphere ( corona ), getting seven times closer to our host star than any other spacecraft so far. In June 2025, the probe completed its 24th close approach to the Sun , whilst equaling its record for the fastest a human-made object has ever traveled , at a zippy 692,000 kilometers per hour (430,000 miles per hour).

The probe is aimed at studying the Sun's atmosphere and will hopefully shed light on a few long-standing mysteries, such as how the solar wind is accelerated. One puzzle, first discovered in 1939 , is that the Sun's corona is far