Tag Archives: solar

Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have found strong evidence of a giant planet orbiting a star in the stellar system closest to our own Sun. At just 4 light-years away from Earth, the Alpha Centauri triple star system has long been a compelling target in the search for worlds beyond our solar system. Alpha Centauri, located in the …

Space weather experts warn that a moderate-strength geomagnetic storm could hit Earth Friday or Saturday (Aug. 8 or 9) — possibly bringing auroras to northern U.S. skies. On Wednesday (Aug. 6), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a geomagnetic storm watch and suggested that the storm is likely associated with a recent solar flare that erupted from an …

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday terminated a $7 billion grant program intended to help pay for residential solar projects for more than 900,000 lower-income U.S. households, in the latest Trump administration move hindering the nation’s shift to cleaner energy. The funding, part of the Biden-era’s Solar for All program, was awarded to 60 recipients including states, …

If you’re in a few lucky states tonight, look up at the sky for a colorful show. The aurora borealis, a natural phenomenon that fills like the sky with undulating colorful lights, should be visible on Aug. 7 and Aug. 8 in 18 states, weather and dark skies permitting. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), geomagnetic storm …

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The Hubble Space Telescope has captured the best picture yet of a high-speed comet visiting our solar system from another star. NASA and the European Space Agency released the latest photos Thursday. Discovered last month by a telescope in Chile, the comet known as 3I-Atlas is only the third known interstellar object to pass our …

Wind and Solar Projects Stall as Trump Cracks Down on Renewables  The New York Times Trump’s Attack on Wind, Solar Cuts Deeper Than Industry Expected  Bloomberg.com Interior’s restrictions have ‘frozen’ solar projects in Nevada, Republican governor tells Burgum  POLITICO Pro Another Burgum order coldcocks solar and wind  E&E News by POLITICO Interior halts offshore wind leasing, claims industry was favored by Biden administration  Utility Dive …

As the Moon orbits the Earth, and the Earth circles the Sun, the Sun itself travels around the center of the Milky Way—rising and falling above and below the galaxy’s plane along the way. A study has suggested that this motion of our star through the galaxy potentially takes us through regions of space that could affect our planet’s climate. …

Sunspot region 4168 is certainly making quite a name for itself! Earlier this week, active region 4168 churned out three M-class flares within 24 hours, ending weeks of calm on the sun. Then, on Aug. 5, it fired off a strong M4.4-class flare, peaking at 11:58 a.m. EDT (15:58 GMT), and hurled a coronal mass ejection (CME) into space. But though …

The Trump administration’s crackdown on renewable energy is just getting started. The best time to start building a new solar project was yesterday, and each passing day raises the risk of crippling new costs. The OBBBA mandated wind and solar tax credits be phased out much more quickly than was previously planned. Other restrictions quickly followed, including a requirement that …

After weeks of relative quiet, the Sun has erupted with a series of powerful solar flares, signaling a return to more active space weather conditions. Over the weekend, three M-class solar flares were unleashed in rapid succession, ending a 22-day period of calm. These eruptions, originating from sunspot region AR 4168, have caught the attention of space weather forecasters, who …