On December 24, the Parker Solar Probe will achieve a record by approaching the Sun to within 3.8 million miles (6 million kilometers), the closest any human-made object has ever been.

Launched in 2018 to study the Sun, the probe has already penetrated the outer atmosphere known as the corona.

During its upcoming pass, Parker will reach 430,000 miles per hour (690,000 kilometers per hour), earning the title of the fastest human-made object.