Tag: Solar
New Interstellar Object Comet 3I/ATLAS—What We Know So Far as It Zips through the Solar System
New Interstellar Object Stuns Scientists as It Zooms through Solar System All eyes are on Comet 3I/ATLAS as astronomers worldwide chase the exotic ice ball through our solar system By Nora Bradford edited by Lee Billings A diagram shows the trajectory of interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS as it passes through the solar system. It will make…
A Gigantic Megacomet Is Erupting as It Zooms through the Solar System
Astronomers Spy Jets Spewing from Megacomet Zooming through the Solar System Recent observations have revealed carbon monoxide venting from the largest comet ever seen, providing clues about its origins in the mysterious depths of the outer solar system By Jonathan O’Callaghan edited by Lee Billings In this artist’s impression, a comet erupts with jets of…
Could the Solar System Lose a Planet to a Passing Star?
The UniverseFridays How a Passing Star Could Oust Planets from the Solar System Close stellar encounters could change the structure of our planetary system, potentially dooming Earth or other worlds to oblivion By Phil Plait edited by Lee Billings This artist’s concept depicts one of the solar system’s inner planets slamming into Earth after being…
Solar manufacturing is booming. Advocates say it could go bust without incentives
By Michael Copley A couple of years ago, Mick McDaniel started a company in Indianapolis to make solar panels in the United States. Then-President Joe Biden had just signed the Inflation Reduction Act, a law packed with tax incentives for clean energy. America’s solar market was about to take off. Since then, tens of billions…
NASA’s Psyche Spacecraft, Exploring Solar System Origins, Is Back on Track after Thrusters Lost Power
NASA’s Psyche Spacecraft, Exploring Solar System Origins, Is Back on Track after Thrusters Lost Power This explorer spacecraft is heading to a rare asteroid with a naked metal core. It could hold clues to how Earth began By Josh Fischman edited by Dean Visser Artist rendering of the Psyche spacecraft in orbit around its namesake…
Wind and Solar Energy Are Cheaper Than Electricity from Fossil-Fuel Plants
Wind and Solar Energy Are Cheaper Than Electricity from Fossil-Fuel Plants Even without subsidies, renewable energy is staying competitive with power from gas and coal By Benjamin Storrow & E&E News Join Our Community of Science Lovers! CLIMATEWIRE | Renewable energy doesn’t need subsidies to compete with fossil fuels when it comes to building new…
Solar Orbiter Captures the First-Ever Images of the Sun’s South Pole
Behold the First Images of the Sun’s South Pole Solar Orbiter isn’t the first spacecraft to study the sun’s poles—but it’s the first to send back photographs By Meghan Bartels edited by Lee Billings A radiance map from Solar Orbiter’s SPICE instrument shows the location of carbon ions in the region of the sun’s atmosphere…
Upgraded Very Large Array Telescope Will Spot Baby Solar Systems—If It’s Funded
Futuristic Radio Telescope Will Spot Baby Solar Systems—If It’s Funded A new telescope project called the Next-Generation Very Large Array will revolutionize radio astronomy if it gets the funding it needs By Sarah Scoles edited by Clara Moskowitz A prototype antenna for the proposed Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA) radio telescope in New Mexico.…
Stronger Solar Activity Cycles May Be in the Sun’s Forecast
The Sun May Be Entering an Era of Stronger 11-Year Cycles The sun has produced stunning auroras on Earth in recent years as solar activity has peaked—but expect more in coming years By Meghan Bartels edited by Dean Visser Massive solar flares, graceful eruptions of solar material, and an enormous sunspot make up some of…
Solar Geoengineering Is Possible with Existing Aircraft, Study Finds
Solar Geoengineering Is Possible with Existing Aircraft, Study Finds Scientists previously thought that solar geoengineering—or releasing particles into the atmosphere to reflect solar rays—would require specialized high-altitude vehicles By Chelsea Harvey & E&E News CLIMATEWIRE | A futuristic geoengineering proposal might be easier to accomplish in the real world than scientists previously thought. The new…
Mysterious Glowing Structure Discovered Near Solar System
Giant, Glowing Gas Cloud Discovered Just 300 Light-Years Away An enormous glowing cloud that contains approximately 3,400 solar masses worth of gas has been discovered near the solar system By Keith Cooper & SPACE.com A crescent-shaped gas cloud has been spotted on the edge of the so-called Local Bubble, shown here in this artist’s illustration…
Skygazers gather across northern hemisphere to glimpse partial solar eclipse
Eclipse peaked in London at about 11am on Saturday and was visible in parts of UK between about 10am and noon People across the northern hemisphere have gathered to catch a glimpse of the partial solar eclipse. The eclipse peaked in London at about 11am on Saturday and was visible in parts of the UK…
Solar and Wind Energy Are Surging But CO2 Is Still Climbing Because of Natural Gas Use
Solar and Wind Are Surging But CO2 Is Still Climbing—Here’s Why Renewable energy broke records last year, but so did gas generation. That’s a climate problem By Benjamin Storrow & E&E News Wind turbines at dusk in the Palm Springs desert. CLIMATEWIRE | Wind and solar generation eclipsed coal throughout 2024, marking the first time…
Sen. Ted Cruz’s list of ‘woke’ science includes self-driving cars and solar eclipses
By Jonathan Lambert There is nothing like being in the path of totality during a total solar eclipse. “For just a few minutes, it feels like the whole world stands still and yet everything changes,” says Corinne Brevik, a physicist at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. The sky darkens, stars come out as the blaze…
How Many Planets Are in the Solar System?
The UniverseFridays How Many Planets Are in the Solar System? The number of planets that orbit the sun depends on what you mean by “planet,” and that’s not so easy to define By Phil Plait edited by Lee Billings All eight of the solar system’s “major” planets appear in this illustration, but the actual number…
People are rushing to install solar panels before Trump becomes President
Jeff Brady The solar power industry is growing fast, accounting for more than half of all new electricity on the grid last year. But soon President-elect Trump and fellow Republicans in Congress may try to reduce or eliminate government incentives that have driven much of that growth. Solar installers face even more uncertainty with threats…
What Happened to Carter’s White House Solar Panels? They Lived On.
Jimmy Carter (1924-2024) The panels, removed under Ronald Reagan, found new homes from Maine to China. And their legacy still reverberates. By Austyn Gaffney It was a novel idea at the time, but one that made sense: In 1979, President Jimmy Carter had 32 solar panels installed on the roof of the White House. They…
Auroras May Light Up New Year’s Sky after Solar Outbursts
Auroras May Light Up New Year’s Sky after Solar Outbursts Will still more auroras ring out 2024, a year marked by the celestial displays? By Meghan Bartels edited by Lee Billings The northern lights seen over Lindisfarne Castle in England on October 10, 2024. The sun is bidding farewell to 2024 with a bang—or rather…
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Attempts a Record-Breaking Christmas Eve Flyby
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Preps for Record-Breaking Christmas Eve Flyby The Parker Solar Probe will swoop just 6.1 million kilometers above the sun’s surface on Christmas Eve. Scientists are thrilled at what we might learn By Jonathan O’Callaghan edited by Lee Billings A solar prominence begins to break apart as it towers over the surface…