{
  "id": 10176681,
  "title": "What is the closest any object has gotten to the sun?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/what-is-the-closest-any-object-has-gotten-to-the-sun",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-27T09:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Live Science",
    "slug": "live-science",
    "url": "https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/what-is-the-closest-any-object-has-gotten-to-the-sun"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mercury, the solar system's innermost planet, is typically associated with objects near the sun. However, multiple natural and artificial objects have ventured even closer to our star. At its nearest point to the sun, known as perihelion, Mercury reaches a minimum distance of 29 million miles (47 million kilometers) from the star.\n\nSeveral asteroids, referred to as Mercury-crossers, approach the sun even closer due to their highly eccentric orbits. One such asteroid, 2024 YL3, has a perihelion of 6.4 million miles (10.3 million km), making it the current record holder. Additionally, proposed asteroids called Vulcanoids, hypothesized to have circular orbits within Mercury's path, may approach the sun even closer. Although their existence remains unconfirmed, computer models suggest they could come within 5.58 million to 23.23 million miles (8.98 million to 37.39 million km) of the sun.\n\nSpacecraft like NASA's Parker Solar Probe have also reached unprecedented proximity to the sun. During its final orbits, the probe approached as close as 4.5 million miles (7.3 million km) to the sun's center, entering the sun's corona and encountering extreme heat.\n\nSungrazing comets, another group of celestial bodies, come even nearer to the sun. Some studies suggest these comets can approach within 1.49 million miles (2.39 million km) of the sun's center. While many sungrazers break up due to the sun's heat or gravitational forces, a few have been observed escaping unharmed. The Great Southern Comet of 1887 holds the record for the closest observed comet, coming as close as 446,187 miles (718,070 km) to the sun.\n\nTheoretically, a sundiving comet, which would cross the sun's visible surface and plunge into it, could surpass the Great Southern Comet's record. However, no sundiver has been detected to date, and the closest object ever to approach the sun was the Great Southern Comet of 1887.",
  "summary": "Approaching the sun is a perilous process, but many objects have successfully pulled off this feat.",
  "key_points": [
    "Mercury reaches minimum distance of 29 million miles (47 million km) from the sun at perihelion.",
    "Asteroid 2024 YL3 has perihelion of 6.4 million miles (10.3 million km), current record holder."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}