First rays of sunlight for balloon-borne solar observatory Sunrise III
Approximately a month before it begins its research flight in the stratosphere, the balloon-borne solar observatory Sunrise III has looked at the Sun for the first time from its launch site at the Arctic Circle. In June, Sunrise III will take off fro.....»»
Expect Auroras, Solar Flares and More Space Weather from the Solar Maximum
Space weather is heating up in our current solar cycle peak.....»»
The Most Efficient Solar Panels Ever Have Been Found—In Giant, Sparkly Clams
Inside giant, iridescent clams are algal farms that could inspire highly efficient bioreactors.....»»
Coupling excitons to polaritons for better solar cells and higher intensity LEDs
In solar cells and light-emitting diodes, maintaining the excited state kinetics of molecules against annihilation is a race against time. These systems need to strike a careful balance between different processes that lead to loss of energy and thos.....»»
This Jackery solar generator combo is on sale for a limited time
Amazon has a huge discount on the Jackery Solar Generator 300 Plus which is perfect for camping fans or those planning ahead......»»
New X-ray world record: Looking inside a microchip with 4 nanometer precision
In a collaboration with EPFL Lausanne, ETH Zurich and the University of Southern California researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have used X-rays to look inside a microchip with higher precision than ever before. The image resolution of 4 n.....»»
July in Greece hottest on record: Observatory
Greece's national observatory on Monday said the country had recorded its warmest July on record, weeks after setting a similar milestone for June......»»
Saturday Citations: Warp drive disasters; cancer prospects across generations; a large COVID vaccination study
This week, researchers reported on the implications of a warp drive containment breach in case you're interested in theoretical space-borne disasters. Scientists in the U.K. report the cardiovascular benefits of COVID-19 vaccination in an extremely t.....»»
Scientists discuss why we might not spot solar panel technosignatures
One of NASA's key priorities is understanding the potential for life elsewhere in the universe. NASA has not found any credible evidence of extraterrestrial life—but NASA is exploring the solar system and beyond to help us answer fundamental questi.....»»
Silicon plus perovskite solar reaches 34 percent efficiency
There are still longevity problems, but things continue to get better. Enlarge / Some solar panels, along with a diagram of a perovskite's crystal structure. (credit: Subhakitnibhat Kewiko) As the price of silicon panels.....»»
Researchers identify useful emission lines in the sun"s outer atmosphere
When studying the solar spectrum, researchers often search for specific emission lines: prominent wavelengths emitted by ions as their electrons transition from higher to lower energy levels. Emission spectra of two iron ions, Fe IX and Fe X, are par.....»»
How solar panels went from ’50s satellites to your backyard
From Einstein's theories of light to Bell Lab's revelations about doping silicon, solar power has been inching toward its current craze for more than a century. Here's how we got here......»»
Rubin Observatory"s 3.5-meter secondary mirror installed
Vera C. Rubin Observatory's 3.5-meter secondary mirror has been installed on the Simonyi Survey Telescope on Cerro Pachón in Chile. The glass mirror—made by Corning Advanced Optics and polished by L3Harris Technologies—is the first permanent com.....»»
Scientists find a human "fingerprint" in the upper troposphere"s increasing ozone
Ozone can be an agent of good or harm, depending on where you find it in the atmosphere. Way up in the stratosphere, the colorless gas shields the Earth from the sun's harsh ultraviolet rays. But closer to the ground, ozone is a harmful air pollutant.....»»
Chemical and transportation industries could boost with new catalyst coating
Coupling electrochemical conversion of the greenhouse gas CO2 with renewable electricity sources—such as solar and wind—promises green production of high-demand chemicals and transportation fuels. Carbon dioxide coupling products such as ethylene.....»»
Predicting solar storms before they leave the sun
When giant solar storms hit Earth, they trigger beautiful auroral displays high in Earth's atmosphere. There's a dark side to this solar activity, though. The "space weather" it sets off also threatens our technology. The potential for damage is why.....»»
Can quantum particles mimic gravitational waves?
When two black holes collide, space and time shake and energy spreads out like ripples in a pond. These gravitational waves, predicted by Einstein in 1916, were observed for the first time by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (L.....»»
A new study shows how the sun could permanently capture rogue planets
Interest in interstellar objects (ISOs) was ignited in 2017 when 'Oumuamua flew through our solar system and made a flyby of Earth. Roughly two years later, another ISO passed through our solar system—the interstellar comet 2I/Borisov......»»
Getting to the root of a plant"s success
Plants are powerful factories—they can turn basic ingredients like carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight into oxygen, sugars, and plant mass. But plants don't do all of this work on their own......»»
How Kepler’s 400-year-old sunspot sketches helped solve a modern mystery
A sharp decline in sunspot activity in the 17th century has long puzzled astronomers. Enlarge / A naked-eye sunspot group on May 11, 2024. There are typically 40,000 to 50,000 sunspots observed in ~11-year solar cycles. (credit:.....»»
Green hydrogen: "Artificial leaf" becomes better under pressure
Hydrogen can be produced via the electrolytic splitting of water. One option here is the use of photoelectrodes that convert sunlight into voltage for electrolysis in so-called photoelectrochemical cells (PEC cells). A research team at HZB has now sh.....»»