New solar roof emulates asphalt shingles, right down to the nails
Streamlined installation should cut costs over competing solar roofs. Enlarge / Installers nail GAF Energy's new solar shingles to a demonstration house. (credit: GAF Energy) A new solar technology introduced yesterday at CES.....»»
Project Helianthus—a solar-sail-driven geomagnetic storm tracker
Solar storms captured the imagination of much of the American public earlier this year when auroras were visible well south of their typical northern areas. As the sun ramps into another solar cycle, those storms will become more and more common, and.....»»
GM signs 15-year solar energy deal that will power 3 U.S. plants
GM's Lansing Delta Township Assembly and Lansing Grand River Assembly plants in Michigan and Wentzville Assembly in Missouri will benefit from the Aug. 15 solar power deal in Arkansas......»»
A hopper could explore more than 150 km of Triton"s surface in two years
Neptune's largest moon, Triton, is one of the most biologically interesting places in the solar system. Despite being hard to reach, it appears to have active volcanoes, a thin atmosphere, and even some organic molecules called tholins on its surface.....»»
Primary instrument for Roman Space Telescope arrives at NASA Goddard
The primary instrument for NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is a sophisticated camera that will survey the cosmos from the outskirts of our solar system all the way out to the edge of the observable universe. Called the Wide Field Instrument,.....»»
Earth hit by "severe" solar storm
The Earth was hit Monday by an intense solar storm that could bring the northern lights to night skies further south than normal, a US agency announced......»»
Faint auroras may be visible in Northern Hemisphere skies after weekend solar storms
Solar storms persisting from the weekend may produce faint colorful auroras across the Northern Hemisphere, with little disruption to power and communications, space forecasters said Monday......»»
512-bit RSA key in home energy system gives control of “virtual power plant”
It took $70 and 24 hours for Ryan Castellucci to gain access to 200 MW of capacity. Enlarge When Ryan Castellucci recently acquired solar panels and a battery storage system for their home just outside of London, they w.....»»
Ancient grains of dust from space can be found on Earth—and provide clues about the life cycle of stars
In space, there are clouds that contain gas and dust ejected from stars. Our solar system was formed 4.6 billion years ago from such a molecular cloud. Most of these dust grains were destroyed during solar system formation. However, a very small amou.....»»
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......»»
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......»»
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.....»»
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......»»
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:.....»»