Sun's severe swelling stage seems somewhat survivable, solar scientists say.

The following is a rush transcript from an interview with our Senior Science correspondent, Bryce Macombe. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

Walter Jefferies (HHWT News): And now let's check in with our Senior Science correspondent Bryce Macombe, who's in Naples, Italy with Dr. Roberto Silvotti of the Observatorio Astronomico di Cap....

[live video image – Bryce Macombe on surface of Sun]

Bryce Macombe (Photosphere, Sun): [interrupting] Uhhh, hold on there Walt! Little change of plans.

WJ: You're not in Naples?

BM: Obviously, Walt. Silvotti backed out at the last minute so we decided to go straight to the source.

WJ: So, then, where are you Bryce?

BM: Surface of the Sun, Walt.

WJ: [stunned] The surface of the Sun?!

BM: Yup. Yeah it took us a little longer to get here than we figured. Somethin' about a 250 mile per sec headwind the whole way. I dunno. The pilot said we'd make up for it on the way back, though.

WJ: [still stunned] You're on the surface... of the Sun. You're reporting from the surface of the Sun.

BM: [confused] Do you not have video, Walt? [looking off camera] Does he not got our video?

WJ: No, no, no we got the video. I just, I, I... Bryce, how did you get there?

BM: Well I did have to call in a few favors from my week at NASA. But you'd be surprised how far a case of twelve year old single malt goes over Walt. The hard part was finding it in those minibar size bottles so they can slip it past launch secu...

WJ: [interrupting] Okay, okay, Bryce. Fine. So you're actually on the surface of the Sun.

BM: Well... [slight chuckle] not actually.

WJ: Ah, I thought not. Very clev...

BM: [interrupting] The Sun is a gaseous ball, Walt. The “surface” you see is actually just the layer from which light, after being created in the core as high energy gamma-ray photons and scattering around inside for over a million years, finally escapes as a nice happy warm greenish-yellow sun ray. Then it flies for eight or so minutes through the interplanetary medium and ends its life warming your lily-white ass on the sands of the French Riviera.

WJ: Listen, Bryce, I didn't mean...

BM: Ah-ah-ah c'mon now, don't deny it Walt. I've seen the pictures. Dimples and all. [discretely] And just between you and me, big guy, a wax job is sorely in order my friend.

WJ: Um. Okay. Well I... anyway. So... what's the surface of the Sun like up close then, Bryce?

BM: Sorta like a sauna... Only hotter. Much. Hotter.

[awkward silence]

WJ: So, that's it? The surface of the sun is hot.

BM: Pretty much, yeah.

WJ: How about the recent astronomical report of planets still orbiting their post-red giant phase parent star?

BM: [sarcastically] What? So even though five billion years from now the Sun may expand in size nearly enveloping earth's orbit, the planet may remain intact after this phase albeit as a chard, smoldering astro-s'more with no life, water or light metals of any kind? There's no story there, Walt. Our viewers want sex and violence, cop car chases and celebrity court cases. The whole feel-good, underdog, David-and-Goliath, come-from-behind, can-do spirit thing just doesn't bump our numbers. The sun's hot. We'll fry. End of story. Wake me when Brittney's caught topless again.

WJ: You travel a hundred million miles from the Earth to the Sun and that's all you have to say about it?

BM: Well c'mon, Walt. With these miles I'll be flyin' free for a decade. It was a no-brainer. Hey! You wanna play Saint Andrews this weekend? We need a fourth! I'll fly you out there?!

WJ: Okay that'll be fine, Bryce. That was Senior Science Correspondent Bryce Macombe from the surface of the Sun.

BM: You in Dubya-Jay?!