Solar Sails and Comet Tails: How Sunlight Pushes Stuff Around
It seems crazy, but light actually exerts a physical force on objects. It could power a new generation of spacecraft for deep-space missions......»»
Astronomers discover spectacular increase in the deuterium to hydrogen ratio in Venus"s atmosphere
Thanks to observations by the Solar Occultation in the Infrared (SOIR) instrument on the Venus Express space probe of the European Space Agency (ESA), researchers have discovered an unexpected increase in the abundances of two water molecule variants.....»»
Green light for accurate vegetation research: Evaluation of global SIF datasets
A recent study has pinpointed the top-performing solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) products for precise global monitoring of photosynthesis and vegetation dynamics. By thoroughly evaluating eight widely-used SIF datasets, the research team.....»»
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.....»»
Specialized materials could passively control the internal temperature of space habitats
Areas of space have wildly different temperatures depending on whether they are directly in sunlight or not. For example, temperatures on the moon can range from 121 °C during the lunar "day" (which lasts for two weeks), then drop down to -133 °C a.....»»
An asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs, not a comet, new study finds
Analysis of ruthenium isotopes showed the impactor was a carbonaceous-type asteroid. Enlarge / Artist impression of a large asteroid impacting on Earth, such as the Chicxulub event that caused the end-Cretaceous mass extinction 6.....»»
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,.....»»
A galactic "comet" called Terzan 5 illuminates a 100-year-old puzzle about cosmic rays
When my colleagues and I set to work on a century-old cosmic mystery, we found an unexpected celestial laboratory in Terzan 5, a dense star cluster currently plunging through our galaxy at breakneck speed......»»
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.....»»
China begins launching a megaconstellation, and it sounds a lot like Starlink
Like Starlink, China's Qianfan satellites have an easy-to-pack flat-panel design. Enlarge / A Long March 6A rocket launches the first 18 Internet satellites for China's Qianfan, or Thousand Sails, broadband network. (credit: VCG.....»»
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.....»»