NASA
Where is Parker Solar Probe now?
Today Parker Solar Probe is 0.861 au (128.9 million km) from Earth and 0.723 au from the Sun. Its radio signals take 7 min 10 s to reach us. It is moving away from Earth at 10.0 km/s.
In our sky it is in Scorpius (right ascension 16h 07m 00s, declination −23° 32′ 07″), but far too faint to see.
Where it is in the Solar System
Seen from above the plane of Earth’s orbit, with the Sun in the middle: the planets’ orbits, the spacecraft today and its path a year back and a year ahead (where JPL’s trajectory covers it).
Mission
Flies through the Sun's outer atmosphere, the corona, to study how the solar wind is heated and accelerated.
| Agency | NASA |
|---|---|
| Launch | August 12, 2018 |
| Destination | Sun |
| Status | Still orbiting the Sun; NASA says the mission's next steps for late 2026 and beyond are under review. |
Milestones
- November 6, 2018First perihelion. Source
- December 14, 2021NASA announced that Parker had flown through the Sun's upper atmosphere, the corona. Source
- November 6, 2024Seventh and last Venus gravity-assist flyby. Source
- December 24, 2024Record closest approach, 3.8 million miles above the solar surface at 430,000 mph. Source
- June 8, 202628th close approach to the Sun, matching its record distance and speed. Source
Position: JPL Horizons, October 13, 2026. NASA · Data sources
How to use this page
The page shows where the spacecraft is now, its path through the solar system, its key facts and its main milestones, from NASA JPL’s data.
Frequently asked questions
How is the position worked out?
From NASA JPL Horizons, which publishes the trajectories of spacecraft. The page is refreshed daily.
Can I see it in the sky?
No. Deep space probes are far too small and far away to see, even with a large telescope.
How do we talk to it?
Through NASA’s Deep Space Network, large radio dishes in California, Spain and Australia.