A NASA probe has recorded a pretty creepy sound as it became the closest man-made object to ever approach the Sun.
The Sun is something we all probably take for granted because, without it, there would be no life on our planet.
And for millenia, all humans could do was admire it from a distance... but now things have changed.
NASA's Parker Solar Probe has ventured into the Sun's outer corona, marking humanity's closest approach to a star.
Launched in 2018, the Parker Solar Probe's primary mission is to study the Sun's outer atmosphere - or corona - and to investigate the origins of solar wind, per NASA.
Using Venus's gravitational pull to maneuver through space, the probe has completed several close flybys.
However, its closest approach to date occurred on Christmas Eve 2024, during which it entered the Sun's outer corona multiple times.
NASA celebrated the achievement as "touching the Sun".
Despite being 3.8 million miles away from the Sun’s surface, the feat was not without its challenges.
The Sun’s surface temperature is approximately 5,600°C (10,000°F), while the corona - the region the probe traversed - can reach even higher temperatures.
The spacecraft relies on an advanced carbon foam shield, capable of withstanding temperatures up to 1,425°C (2,597°F), to protect its instruments from intense heat.
Traveling at a record-breaking 430,000 miles per hour, the Parker Solar Probe has also become the fastest human-made object in history, per BBC News.
"Flying this close to the Sun is a historic moment in humanity’s first mission to a star," said Nicky Fox, head of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.
"By studying the Sun up close, we can better understand its impacts throughout our solar system, including on the technology we use daily on Earth and in space, as well as learn about the workings of stars across the universe to aid in our search for habitable worlds beyond our home planet."
During its flybys, the probe has been collecting data to help scientists unravel some of the Sun’s biggest mysteries, such as why the corona is hotter than the surface and how solar wind originates.
Along the way, it recorded what is an incredibly creepy noise.
The recordings, later converted into sound waves, reveal a high-pitched screech as the solar wind rushes through space. Reactions online have been strong, with social media users calling the sounds "chilling" and "eerie".
“Damn, that sound is chilling,” wrote one Reddit user.
Another commented: “I’ve no idea what I see, but it looks quite eerie.”
"I don't know why but I got goosebumps that's haunting," wrote another.
While unsettling, these noises are rooted in science rather than science fiction. The "sound" is created by the interaction of fast-moving solar wind particles with the spacecraft’s instruments.
However, space itself is silent. Once the solar wind leaves the Sun's atmosphere, the eerie screeches disappear.
The Parker Solar Probe's mission is far from over. Its next close approaches are scheduled for March 22 and June 19, 2025.
During these flybys, scientists hope to gather even more data about the Sun's corona and its impact on the solar system.