Solar

Get ready for a celestial spectacle as NASA extends a warm invitation to theHT public to witness a total solar eclipse on April 8, painting the skies over North America. This rare event will offer residents in 15 states a mesmerizing view of the Moon completely obscuring the Sun, unveiling the Sun's delicate corona."This year's total solar eclipse will be a treat for all in the contiguous United States, making it the most accessible celestial event in a generation," exclaimed Nicola Fox, Associate Administrator of the…

New Horizons spacecraft’s observations suggest the Kuiper Belt extends far beyond its thought boundary, potentially indicating a larger region or a second belt filled with icy, rocky objects, challenging existing solar system models. Credit: SciTechDaily.comNASA’s New Horizons has discovered unexpectedly high dust levels in the Kuiper Belt, hinting at a larger expanse or a new belt, reshaping our understanding of the solar system’s outer edge.New observations from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft hint that the Kuiper Belt –…

Get ready to witness the total solar eclipse that graces North America on April 8, marking the last occurrence until 2044. This celestial spectacle will blanket the sky for the first time since 2017. If you're not in the path of totality, act fast to secure accommodations and plan your journey to a prime viewing spot.What is a Total Solar Eclipse?During a total solar eclipse, the moon comes between Earth and the sun, momentarily casting darkness on a sunny day. The degree of coverage depends on your location, with…

In the last week of February, the Sun turned volatile and hurled out 3 dangerous X-class solar flares in the span of just 24 hours. One of these flares was the strongest one recorded since 2017 and certainly the highest in intensity in the current solar cycle 25. As we move towards the peak of this cycle, solar activity is expected to ramp up, resulting in potential CMEs, filament eruptions, solar storms, solar flares and geomagnetic storms. Forecasters have recently revealed details about a solar storm danger as a CME…

Photo: China News Service Renewable energy costs in Asia last year were 13% cheaper than coal and are expected to be 32% cheaper by 2030, according to a new study. Source: Wood Mackenzie Asia Pacific Power & Renewable Services  According to Wood Mackenzie’s latest analysis of the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, the LCOE from renewables reached a historic low in 2023. This is significant because it marks a shift toward making renewables…

KAUST scientists have developed a roadmap for commercializing highly efficient perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells, promising a future of affordable clean energy. Addressing challenges from real-world application to manufacturing, they aim to transform the global energy landscape, with the technology’s market value expected to exceed $10 billion within ten years. Credit: 2024 KAUSTResearchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have developed a comprehensive plan to introduce perovskite/silicon…

When the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima in August 1945, the Japanese city was engulfed in a devastating fireball that killed an estimated 140,000 people and vaporized earth and infrastructure.Seventy years later, scientists discovered fallout debris from the nuclear blast in the form of glassy spheres strewn along the beach of Motoujina, a small island in Hiroshima Bay. The concrete and steel that once made up Hiroshima's buildings had been whipped up and torched in the extreme heat, scientists…

Photo: Kyoto University An MIT-led team revealed a “guidebook” for how to tune surface properties of perovskites, a silicon alternative – here’s why that’s huge for solar. Perovskite solar cells, inspired by the mineral with a similar crystal structure, have been a serious topic of research within the renewable energy sector for some years now. Their potential to redefine the solar energy landscape is vast, offering a tantalizing combination of high efficiency, low manufacturing costs, and…

Photo: EDF Renewables North America Renewables provided over 22.7% of US electrical generation in 2023, according to newly released end-of-year US Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. EIA’s latest “Electric Power Monthly” (with data through December 31, 2023) reports that the combination of utility-scale and small-scale (e.g., rooftop) solar increased by 16.1% last year. Small-scale solar alone grew by 20.1% – faster than any other energy source. In December alone, small-scale…

Photo: Ascent Solar Technologies NASA is taking Ascent Solar Technologies‘ (Nasdaq: ASTI) flexible thin-film solar on a “big power for small spacecraft” mission this summer. NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, are leading the mission, which is developing a space power system using lightweight, flexible photovoltaic (PV) to provide low-cost power for spacecraft. It’s called the Lightweight Integrated Solar Array and…