The Parker Solar Probe is a NASA spacecraft designed to study the Sun and its atmosphere. It was launched on August 12, 2018, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, and is currently orbiting the Sun in a highly elliptical orbit that takes it closer to the Sun than any previous spacecraft. The mission objectives of the Parker Solar Probe are to study the structure and dynamics of the Sun's corona, the Sun's magnetic field, and the solar wind. To achieve this, the probe will make a total of 24 close approaches to the Sun over the course of its mission, getting as close as 3.83 million miles from the Sun's surface, which is about 7 times closer than any previous spacecraft. By studying the Sun up close, the Parker Solar Probe aims to improve our understanding of space weather and its effects on Earth, as well as providing new insights into the fundamental processes that govern stars in the universe.
Find it in the Sky
Chose a date & time and view the position of Parker Solar Probe in the sky on our interactive planetarium.
In Evidence
Parker Solar Probe
Parker Solar Probe is in the constellation of Taurus, at a distance of
Finder Charts
The sky charts below show, at different resolutions, the position of Parker Solar Probe in the sky. Click on each chart to access the interactive star map tool.
The following map uses photographic imagery from the Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) to realistically visualize the precise position of Parker Solar Probe against the stars in the background. The horizontal size of the map measures 60 arcminutes. Click on the image to access a more detailed full-screen view.
Equatorial Coordinates
Apparent
J2000
Additional Information
Rise and Set Times
The following table lists today's rise, transit and set times of Parker Solar Probe from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
If you need to access this information frequently for your observations, you can create a simple customized Quick Access page, so that you can easily bookmark it in your browser favorites or add a shortcut to your mobile phones' home screen.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Parker Solar Probe from Earth is currently
The following graph shows the distance of Parker Solar Probe from Earth as a function of time. In the chart the distance is measured in Astronomical Units and the data is sampled with an interval of 1 day.
Note: The values in this chart may not be entirely accurate around the time of closest approach for objects passing very close to Earth at high speed (e.g., Near-Earth Objects).
The value of the distance of Parker Solar Probe from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the live position tracker.
Closest Approach to Earth
In the period between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2026, the closest approach of Parker Solar Probe to Earth happened on Monday 19 August 2024 at a distance of 0.281446 Astronomical Units, or 42,103,721 kilometers:
Note: the values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Orbit Visualization
The following chart is a 3D animated visualization of the orbit of Parker Solar Probe relative to the other major objects in the Solar System.
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Parker Solar Probe computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Apparent celestial coordinates are provided.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 05 2025 | 05h 32m 24s | +21° 01’ 45” | N.A. | Taurus |
| Jul 06 2025 | 05h 31m 16s | +20° 51’ 22” | N.A. | Taurus |
| Jul 07 2025 | 05h 30m 21s | +20° 41’ 10” | N.A. | Taurus |
| Jul 08 2025 | 05h 29m 41s | +20° 31’ 09” | N.A. | Taurus |
| Jul 09 2025 | 05h 29m 15s | +20° 21’ 21” | N.A. | Taurus |
| Jul 10 2025 | 05h 29m 04s | +20° 11’ 44” | N.A. | Taurus |
| Jul 11 2025 | 05h 29m 06s | +20° 02’ 22” | N.A. | Taurus |
| Jul 12 2025 | 05h 29m 22s | +19° 53’ 11” | N.A. | Taurus |
| Jul 13 2025 | 05h 29m 52s | +19° 44’ 13” | N.A. | Taurus |
| Jul 14 2025 | 05h 30m 37s | +19° 35’ 28” | N.A. | Taurus |
| Jul 15 2025 | 05h 31m 37s | +19° 26’ 53” | N.A. | Taurus |
| Jul 16 2025 | 05h 32m 51s | +19° 18’ 29” | N.A. | Taurus |
| Jul 17 2025 | 05h 34m 20s | +19° 10’ 15” | N.A. | Taurus |
| Jul 18 2025 | 05h 36m 04s | +19° 02’ 09” | N.A. | Taurus |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Parker Solar Probe: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Parker Solar Probe?: Key information on where to find Parker Solar Probe in the sky.
- Distance of Parker Solar Probe from Earth: Find out how far Parker Solar Probe is from Earth right now.
- Rise and Set Times: Rise and set times of Parker Solar Probe from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of Parker Solar Probe's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: High precision real time tracker of Parker Solar Probe's position using deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Parker Solar Probe's computed ephemeris.
- Orbit Visualization: 3D interactive visualization showing the orbit of Parker Solar Probe with respect to the major Solar System objects.