The solar wind, explained
The solar wind is a flow of particles that comes off the sun at about one million miles per hour and travels throughout the entire solar system. First proposed in the 1950s by University of Chicago physicist Eugene Parker, the solar wind is visible i.....»»
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:.....»»
What’s new on Hulu in August 2024 and what’s leaving soon
Hulu's August 2024 lineup includes Only Murders in the Building season 4, Solar Opposites season 5, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Suitable Flesh, and more......»»
Newly created super-black wood can improve telescopes, optical devices and consumer goods
Thanks to an accidental discovery, researchers at the University of British Columbia have created a new super-black material that absorbs almost all light, opening potential applications in fine jewelry, solar cells and precision optical devices......»»
The sun"s corona is weirdly hot, and Parker Solar Probe rules out one explanation
By diving into the sun's corona, NASA's Parker Solar Probe has ruled out S-shaped bends in the sun's magnetic field as a cause of the corona's searing temperatures, according to University of Michigan research published in The Astrophysical Journal L.....»»
Solar storms could cause more auroras on Tuesday night
Massive explosions on the sun have triggered warnings of geomagnetic storms that could create dazzling auroras in the northern United States, Europe and southern Australia on Tuesday night......»»
Why the solar corona is so much hotter than sun"s surface
In a new study published in The Astrophysical Journal, a researcher from The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of the University of Alabama System, explores critical aspects of a phenomenon called kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs) to provi.....»»
Wind, temperatures pick up as fire scorches northern California
Crews continued to fight a massive fire in northern California on Sunday, as authorities in the western US state warned of increasing winds and rising daytime temperatures......»»
Spacecraft to swing by Earth, moon on path to Jupiter
A spacecraft launched last year will slingshot back around Earth and the moon next month in a high-stakes, world-first maneuver as it pinballs its way through the solar system to Jupiter......»»
Is this how you get hot Jupiters?
When we think of Jupiter-type planets, we usually picture massive cloud-covered worlds orbiting far from their stars. That distance keeps their volatile gases from vaporizing from stellar heat, similar to what we're familiar with in our solar system......»»
Deadpool & Wolverine’s ending, explained
Now that Deadpool & Wolverine has landed in theaters, let's break down the film and what its ending means for the Marvel Cinematic Universe......»»
Kepler"s 1607 pioneering sunspot sketches solve solar mysteries 400 years later
Using modern techniques, researchers have re-examined Johannes Kepler's half-forgotten sunspot drawings and revealed previously-hidden information about the solar cycles before the grand solar minimum......»»
No, You Can’t Have a Solar-Powered Passenger Plane
Guilt-free air travel is a beautiful dream, but there’s simply no way to get enough solar energy to keep a cabin full of people in the air......»»
What is Microsoft 365? Here’s the cloud software suite, explained
Here are the main things you need to know about the Microsoft 365 productivity suite......»»
US solar production soars by 25 percent in just one year
2024 is seeing the inevitable outcome of the building boom in solar farms. Enlarge (credit: Vithun Khamsong) With the plunging price of photovoltaics, the construction of solar plants has boomed in the US. Last year, for.....»»
James Webb takes rare direct image of a nearby super-Jupiter
The James Webb Space Telescope has directly imaged a gas giant beyond our solar system, and it's one of the coldest exoplanets observed so far......»»