(phone rings) – Hi, it’s Doug. Have you ever wondered what the hottest thing you know is? I recently got a torch for some science experiments, and its flame is super hot. But guess what? It’s not as hot as the sun! Today, we’re going to learn about the sun and answer a cool question from someone named Lara. Let’s call her now. (phone rings)
– Hi, Doug.
– Hi, Lara.
– I’ve got a question for you. How close can an astronaut get to the sun?
That’s a fantastic question, Lara! Astronauts wear special suits that protect them from extreme heat and cold in space. But even these amazing suits aren’t strong enough to handle the sun’s intense heat. If an astronaut got too close, they would burn up! But wouldn’t it be amazing if we could get close to the sun? We could learn so much, like what it’s made of, if there’s any part we could stand on, and exactly how hot it is!
Scientists have been curious about the sun for a long time. They use special tools to study it from Earth. One of these tools is a solar telescope. This telescope has special equipment that makes it safe to look at the sun. When you look through a solar telescope, you can see the sun’s surface and the hot flames shooting off its edge. It’s incredible! By using telescopes, scientists discovered that the sun is a giant ball of hot gas.
But there are still many questions about the sun that we can’t answer from Earth. So, what can we do if sending an astronaut isn’t an option? What do you think? (Pause and think about it!)
One great idea is to send something instead of a person, like a spacecraft. A spacecraft is like a small spaceship without people inside, but it has cameras and tools to collect information. In the 1970s, NASA sent a spacecraft called Helios closer to the sun than ever before. But they didn’t let it get too close because it would have melted!
Now, scientists are trying something new. On August 12th, 2018, NASA launched a spacecraft called the Parker Solar Probe. This time, it’s going to travel all the way to the sun! Here’s an animation of what it might look like as it gets close. The Parker Solar Probe will touch the very outer edge of the sun. But how can it do that without melting?
Scientists invented a new material to protect the spacecraft from the sun’s heat. This material is like a sponge and is so good at protecting that you could put your hand just inches away from a blowtorch and not get burned! They used this material to build a shield around the Parker Solar Probe, so it should stay safe from the sun’s heat.
Eventually, the probe will get further into the sun and melt, but not before sending us lots of photos and information. This will help us learn new things about the sun!
In summary, scientists are eager to learn more about the sun by getting closer to it. Since sending an astronaut is too risky, they’re sending a spacecraft instead. Thanks, Lara, for asking such a great question!
Now, for the next episode, I found three questions in my question jar that I’m thinking about answering. You can vote on one: why do we get cavities? How are shoes made? Or, why is it so hard for firefighters to put out wildfires? Submit your vote when the video’s over. There are mysteries all around us. Stay curious and see you next week!
Sun Observation Journal: Start a “Sun Observation Journal” where you can draw or write about the sun each day. Look at the sun (never directly, always with proper protection or through safe images) and notice how it changes. Does it look different in the morning compared to the afternoon? What colors do you see during sunrise or sunset? Share your observations with your family or friends.
Create a Solar System Model: Use clay or playdough to make a model of the solar system. Place the sun in the center and arrange the planets around it. Discuss with your classmates or family how the sun’s heat and light reach each planet. Which planets are closer to the sun, and which are farther away? How do you think this affects their temperatures?
Design a Spacecraft Shield: Imagine you are a scientist designing a spacecraft to visit the sun. Using materials like aluminum foil, cardboard, and paper, create a model of a heat shield that could protect your spacecraft. Test your design by placing it near a heat source (like a lamp) and see how well it works. Discuss what materials might work best and why.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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(phone rings) – Hi, it’s Doug. What’s the hottest thing you know? I recently got this torch for doing some science experiments, and the flame on it is really hot. Still, it’s not as hot as the sun. Someone named Lara has a question about the sun. Let’s give her a call now. (phone rings) – Hi, Doug. – Hi, Lara. – I’ve got a question for you. How close can an astronaut get to the sun? – That’s a great question. Astronauts wear special suits that protect them from extreme heat and cold, but these space suits aren’t strong enough to deal with the intense heat of the sun. If an astronaut got too close to the sun, they would burn up. Still, it would be really interesting if we could get close to the sun. Think of all the questions you might be able to answer, like: what’s it made of? Is there any part of it we could stand on? And how hot is it exactly? Scientists have been wondering questions like these for a long time now. Some of these questions they can answer without leaving the Earth. One way they answer questions about the sun is by using a solar telescope. That’s this. It’s a telescope with special equipment on it that makes it safe to look at the sun. Here’s the view when you look through one of these solar telescopes. It’s incredible. You could actually see the surface of the sun and notice these hot flames that are shooting off the sun’s edge. You see, just using telescopes, we’ve been able to figure out that the sun is a ball of hot gas. Still, we have lots of other questions about the sun where it would be helpful if we could just get close to it. If sending an astronaut isn’t an option, what could we do? What do you think? Now would be a good time to pause the video and discuss. Okay, you ready? One idea you might have had is, what if we sent something instead of a person? Like, what if we sent a spacecraft? A spacecraft is basically a small spaceship that doesn’t have people on it, but it does have cameras that can help scientists get pictures and collect information. They tried doing this back in the 1970s. NASA sent a spacecraft called Helios. This is what it looked like. They sent it closer to the sun than ever before, but they didn’t let it get too close because they knew it would melt if it did. Now we’re ready to try something different. On August 12th, 2018, scientists at NASA launched a new spacecraft. It’s called the Parker Solar Probe. This is real video from the day that it was launched into space. And this time it’s going to travel all the way to the sun. This is an artist’s animation of what it might look like as it gets close. Once it gets there, it’s actually going to touch the very outer edge of the sun, but how? Wouldn’t it just melt? Well, scientists have invented a new material to help keep the spacecraft from getting too hot. Here’s what it looks like. It’s kind of like a sponge. It protects so well from the heat that you could put your hand only inches away from a blowtorch and not get burned. When they built the Parker Solar Probe, they surrounded it with a shield made out of this new material, so the probe should stay protected from the sun’s heat. Eventually, once a probe gets further into the sun, it will melt, but not before sending us lots of photos and information, hopefully leading us to new knowledge about the sun. So, in summary, scientists are curious to learn more about the sun by getting closer to it. Since they don’t want to risk sending an astronaut, they’re sending a spacecraft. That’s all for this week’s question. Thanks, Lara, for asking it. Now, for the next episode, I reached into my question jar and found three questions submitted to me that I’m thinking about answering. When this video’s done playing, you’ll get to vote on one. You can choose from: why do we get cavities? How are shoes made? Or, why is it so hard for firefighters to put out wildfires? So, submit your vote when the video’s over. I want to hear from all of you watching. There are mysteries all around us. Stay curious and see you next week.
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Let me know if you need any further modifications!
