NASA is sending a probe to the sun. Yes, this time NASA is the alien entity probing a helpless star. NASA's Parker Solar Probe, named for astrophysicist Eugene Parker and outfitted with an almost 5-inch thick coat of carbon-composite solar shields, will set off next year in the hopes of exploring the sun's atmosphere. The mission is to send the probe within 3.7 million miles of the sun's surface, NASA announced during a news conference on Wednesday.

美国航天局计划向太阳发射一个探测器。没错，这次美国航天局担当外星角色，去探测太阳这颗孤立无援的星球。美国航天局的“帕克太阳探测器”取名自天体物理学家尤金·帕克，配有近12.7厘米厚的碳复合保护罩，预计明年发射，希望能够探测到太阳的大气层。周三，美国宇航局在新闻发布会上宣布，此次任务是将探测器送到距离太阳表面仅650万公里的运行轨道。

Scientists hope the trip will provide insights into the sun's mysterious corona, teach us more about the physics of stars, help explain solar wind, and improve forecasting of space weather events that affect satellites, astronauts, and the Earth, according to NASA.

科学家希望这次探测任务能够帮助人类更好地认识日冕、恒星物理，解释太阳风，并改进影响卫星、宇航员和地球的太空天气事件的预报。

The mission is slated to begin in the summer of 2018, giving sunblock companies plenty of time to come up with clever marketing schemes. Coppertone-branded solar shields, anyone?

此次任务预计2018年夏季开始，防晒霜公司有充裕的时间提出聪明的营销方案。科普特牌太阳盾，防晒效果杠杠的，有人想要吗？

（本文翻译：Frank）