#3029: Sun Avoidance

XKCD comic, described below.
Transcript

[Header:] Sun Avoidance Skill Leaderboard

[A table with three columns, all with underlined headers.]

Rank

Mission

Sun Nearest Miss

[First 'row', 'Rank', is of extra height and over several lines, using vertical and horizontal ellipses between the two endpoints to indicate a range of ranks in the first column, the first visible digit of the larger number being cut off by the left frame edge:] 1. ⋮ … ⋮ 4303857.

[Across both the 'Mission' and 'Sun Nearest Miss' columns, the first row has some text spread across two lines, within a framing pair of large square brackets to match the Rank range:] All other expeditions in human history

[A simple row, with all three columns separately populated, the first column's Rank number is also cut off across the first visible digit.]

4303858.

Mariner-10

69.0 million km

[Another row, likewise.]

4303859.

Helios 1

46.4 million km

[Another row.]

4303860.

BepiColombo

45.8 million km

[Another row, with a yet more significant Ranking digit now partly visible due to non-proportional spacing, itself being cut off in the stead of the now fully visible next digit.]

24303861.

Messenger

45.3 million km

[Another row, back to the original pre-cutoff.]

4303862.

Solar Orbiter

43.8 million km

[Another row.]

4303863.

Helios 2

43.3 million km

[Final row.]

4303864.

Parker

6.17 million km

[Caption below the panel:]

Congratulations to the Parker Solar Probe for setting a new record for "Worst Job Avoiding the Sun."

(Sourced from explainxkcd.com)

Title text:C'mon, ESA Solar Orbiter team, just give the Parker probe a LITTLE nudge at aphelion. Crash it into the sun. Fulfill the dream of Icarus. It is your destiny.


ExplainOriginal