Astronomers will witness a rare transit of Venus, appearing as a small black dot on the Sun's surface, which won't happen again until 2117. The event will help scientists study Venus's atmosphere and potentially aid in finding extrasolar planets.
Researchers analyze Hinode and SOHO data to show the north pole's magnetic field is weakening faster than predicted, while the south pole's polarity remains unchanged. The findings suggest an imminent solar maximum, potentially occurring before 2013, with significant implications for solar activity and space weather forecasts.
Researchers use NASA's Swift satellite to study Comet Garradd as it moves beyond the solar system's snow line. The comet sheds water and dust at an unprecedented rate, offering clues about its composition and behavior.
Researchers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center discovered a unique solar pattern, dubbed 'coronal cells,' in the sun's corona. These cells are characterized by bright centers and dark boundaries, occurring in areas between coronal holes and filament channels, with implications for magnetic fields and solar wind emission.
A recent study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that UV photographs can predict melanoma risk factors in 12-year-olds. The study's results suggest that primary care physicians can use UV photography to provide better sun protection counseling, potentially preventing melanoma cases.
NASA's models predict two CMEs will impact Earth and Mars, causing severe geomagnetic storms and aurora at low latitudes. The flares, part of the sun's normal 11-year solar cycle, were triggered by an active region named AR 1429.
Scientists have found evidence of 'hot flow anomalies' on Venus, which are similar to those observed on Earth. These events release massive energy and can even deflect the solar wind back towards the sun.
A new model, published by Anne Hofmeister and Robert Criss, presents a three-dimensional gas cloud scenario for planetary accretion. The model explains planetary orbits and spins without relying on heat production, conserving angular momentum in a cold environment.
Researchers are developing an artificial 'leaf' that can convert sunlight into liquid fuel, and optimizing natural photosynthesis through enzyme engineering. The goal is to improve crop yields and create a sustainable carbon-neutral economy.
Scientists from the University of Cambridge have developed a new type of solar cell that can harness more of the energy from the sun. The hybrid cell absorbs red light and uses blue light to boost electrical current, enabling it to capture 44% of incoming solar energy.
Two new planets, Kepler-34 and Kepler-35, have been discovered orbiting binary suns in the Cygnus constellation. The discovery indicates that planets can revolve around double stars, challenging our understanding of solar systems.
A recent potent follow-up solar flare delivered a powerful radiation punch to Earth's magnetic field due to existing energetic particles and a magnetic connection. This highlights the potential for space weather events to disrupt daily life and pose risks to astronauts, despite not being in direct path.
A comet was caught doing something never seen before: dying a scorching death as it flew too close to the sun. The comet's size and mass were estimated to be between 150-300 feet long, with its core evaporating in intense heat.
A team of astrophysicists discovered a ring system in the constellation Centaurus that is similar to Saturn's. The system consists of four thin rings of dust debris, with each ring having a mass similar to Earth's moon, and orbits tens of millions of kilometers from the central star.
The Cygnus X region is home to thousands of massive stars and many more stars around the size of our sun or smaller. Infrared data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope reveals a complex of star-forming clouds, with bubbles carved out by radiation and winds from massive stars.
The Solar Heliophysics Observatory (SOHO) has discovered a new Kreutz-family comet, C/2011 W3 (Lovejoy), through ground-based telescope observations. This is the first time a Kreutz comet has been found in this way since the 1970s, providing scientists with an opportunity to study it before it moves into view of space-based telescopes.
A team of researchers has discovered a large, rocky planet with a surface temperature comparable to a comfortable spring day on Earth. The planet orbits in the middle of its star's habitable zone, where liquid water is expected to exist.
Despite predictions of a giant solar flare, NASA confirms it's physically impossible to destroy Earth. In fact, scientists have studied the sun's activity for millennia with no harm.
A Stanford study found that Caucasians who avoid sun exposure have lower blood levels of vitamin D, with a 40% prevalence among all participants increasing to 53% and 56% among those wearing long sleeves and staying in the shade. The use of sunscreen did not significantly affect vitamin D levels due to insufficient application.
The University of New Hampshire will provide instruments for the ESA's Solar Orbiter and JAXA's SCOPE missions. The Solar Orbiter will study the Sun's influence on its environment, while the SCOPE mission will investigate magnetosphere processes and solar flares.
The Borexino instrument has measured the flux of beryllium seven (7Be) solar neutrinos with high precision, allowing for a detailed study of their behavior. This advance confirms predictions of neutrino oscillations, flavor changes, and flow predicted by models of the sun and particle physics.
The European Space Agency (ESA) will collaborate with NASA on the Solar Orbiter mission, a spacecraft designed to study the powerful influence of the sun. The mission aims to understand how solar activity affects Earth's magnetic environment and potentially damaging satellites.
An interdisciplinary UNH team has been awarded a $5 million NSF grant to investigate the complex physical processes linking the dynamic Sun-Earth system. By analyzing polar ice cores for nitrate spikes, they aim to unravel the history of ancient solar activity and establish the range of extreme solar events.
Researchers found 15% of flares have a late phase with increased energy output. This discovery could improve predictions of space weather affecting Earth's communications and GPS signals.
Researchers at Stanford University have developed a new method to detect sunspots forming deep inside the sun, allowing for up to two days' warning before solar storms. The method uses acoustic waves generated by turbulent plasma and gases, and has been successfully tested four times.
X-class flares are the largest explosions in the solar system, producing as much energy as a billion hydrogen bombs. These powerful events can cause long-lasting radiation storms that harm satellites, communications systems, and ground-based technologies.
Researchers have discovered that certain grape extracts can protect human epidermis cells from UV radiation-induced cell damage and death. The study found that flavonoids in grapes inhibit the formation of reactive oxygen species, leading to a protective effect against UV radiation.
The comet's water production in 2010 was three times less than in 1997, with a sudden increase of hydrogen signatures detected by SWAN. This observation challenges standard models of comet behavior and highlights the need for further analysis to understand the underlying causes.
Scientists with NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) have tracked Alfvén waves carrying more energy than previously thought, which could drive the intense heating of the corona and solar winds. The study confirms that these waves may be part of a mechanism supplying a huge reservoir of energy at the sun's surface.
A new study using satellite observations reveals that magnetic oscillations carrying energy from the Sun's surface into its corona are far more vigorous than previously thought. These waves are energetic enough to heat the corona, driving the solar wind and affecting the entire solar system.
A study found that acculturation is positively associated with sunscreen use and negatively associated with the use of long-sleeved shirts and pants. Education level combined with acculturation mediated these associations, suggesting social networks have a significant influence on sun-safe behaviors.
Researchers use old mathematical techniques and insights on CMEs to devise a fresh way to measure magnetic fields in the sun's upper atmosphere. By spotting a diffuse ring around a CME, they can determine the strength of the magnetic field using Alfvén speed.
Researchers from the University of Manchester and consortium partners are working on harnessing solar energy to produce hydrogen fuel. The technology has potential to revolutionize energy usage in the coming decades by creating clean, green fuels.
The Sun weighs 333,000 Earths and sustains a core temperature of 27 million degrees Fahrenheit. Berman explores the Sun's impact on climate change, human behavior, and our daily lives.
New research predicts that UK winters will become colder due to low solar activity, with a 10% chance of returning to Maunder minimum conditions within 50 years. This could lead to an average winter temperature below 2.5°C, with implications for national infrastructure planning.
The Genesis mission analysis shows differences in oxygen and nitrogen isotopes between the sun and rocky inner planets, including Earth. These findings suggest that the solar system's formation was more complex than previously thought.
The Genesis mission has provided the first oxygen and nitrogen isotopic measurements of the Sun, showing significant differences from those on Earth. These results suggest that the solar system was formed through a complex process, with different astrophysical mechanisms contributing to the composition of space dust.
Researchers at George Mason University have discovered a phenomenon called magnetic ropes, which are believed to trigger solar storms. These rope-like structures heat up to extreme temperatures and can produce a strong electric current that powers the eruption.
A team of scientists found that solar minimums lead to geomagnetic effects on Earth due to the speed of the solar wind, interplanetary magnetic field strength, and coronal hole placement. Coronal holes caused a decrease in solar wind speed and southward magnetic components, resulting in lower geomagnetic effects.
Scientists have discovered 'surfer' waves in the sun's corona, which could help explain why it's thousands of times hotter than expected. The waves were captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and are thought to be caused by Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities.
The CoGeNT experiment has detected a seasonal signal variation in its data, consistent with the predictions of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs). The team is cautious, as the signal could be due to random fluctuations or experimental errors.
Jupiter's Grand Tack model reveals the planet's youthful travels profoundly impacted the solar system. The giant planet's migration toward and away from the sun altered the nature of the asteroid belt, making Mars smaller than expected. The new model suggests Jupiter perturbed objects in the asteroid belt instead of destroying it.
The Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin warns that current UK sun cream advice is too low on protection and impractical to follow. The organization recommends rethinking the current SPF of 15 and suggests a more balanced approach with products labeled as 'factor 30' for broad-spectrum ultraviolet screening effect.
Research suggests that children living in areas with limited sunlight are at higher risk of developing asthma. Vitamin D, synthesized through sun exposure, plays a crucial role in preventing the illness.
Researchers at MIT have developed a new system for harnessing the sun's heat to generate electricity, producing power with an efficiency roughly eight times higher than previous devices. The system uses flat, stationary panels and eliminates the need for tracking systems, making it potentially less expensive to produce.
A team of researchers at Northwestern University has created a terahertz invisibility cloak that manipulates light to render objects invisible in the terahertz range. This design could have implications for biomedical research, security and communication.
A University of Houston researcher is developing new class of contrasting agents by using iron nanostructures to provide color to MRI images. This will enable easier interpretation and identification of internal tissues. The technology also has potential applications in tracking stem cells and targeting cancer cells.
Astronomers have updated the census of sun-like stars with data from NASA's Kepler Mission, detecting changes in brightness in 500 stars. This provides a much better understanding of the stars' properties and their evolution, allowing for detailed measurements of star basics such as mass and age.
A new polymer-based solar-thermal device collects both solar energy and heat, providing a more efficient way to heat homes. The device has shown 30% efficiency in converting solar energy to power, outperforming standard solar cells with a conversion efficiency of up to 8%.
New research reveals that tree leaves in different canopy positions respond to varying light conditions by changing shape and physiology. This adaptation allows trees to cope with stress and use resources more efficiently, with outer canopy leaves influencing the inner canopy's ability to utilize diffuse solar radiation.
A new paper suggests that potentially habitable planets orbiting white dwarfs could be much easier to find than other exoplanets. The study proposes a survey of the 20,000 closest white dwarfs, which could be detected using a 1-meter ground telescope.
The James Webb Space Telescope's sunshield is a complex system of five layers, each less than half the thickness of paper, working together to create an effective SPF of 1,000,000. The sunshield unfurls like a giant beach umbrella to protect the telescope and instruments from solar heat and light.
Dr. Chin-Teh Sun has made significant contributions to the fundamental understanding of impact damage and composite structure failure. He is being honored with the AIAA Chichlow Prize for his groundbreaking research on damage-tolerant design in aerospace materials.
Scientists have discovered that calcium, aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) formed far away from the sun and later fell back into the mid-plane of the solar system. The findings provide new insights into the formation and evolution of our solar system, suggesting turbulent conditions during its early stages.
Computer simulations suggest that changes in plasma flow within the Sun, which resembles ocean currents, contribute to prolonged solar minima. The team discovered that a faster flow during the first half of the solar cycle can lead to an extended period without sunspots and weak polar magnetic fields.
A new type of bread made with high-vitamin D yeast could be a valuable source of vitamin D in the diet. Laboratory tests show that bread made with vitamin D2-rich yeast has effects similar to those of vitamin D3.
The Total Irradiance Monitor instrument on Glory will study short- and long-term fluctuations in the sun's energy output, influencing Earth's climate. A tiny CU-Boulder satellite, Hermes, also launched on Taurus XL, aims to improve communications systems in tiny satellites.
A new study found that young people with a family history of melanoma are still ignoring sun safety advice, despite being aware of the risks. The research showed that younger women in particular viewed tanning as healthy and were less likely to use sunscreen.
The STEREO spacecraft provide a 360-degree view of the Sun, allowing NRL researchers to map its entire atmosphere continuously. This capability enables them to study the solar corona and inner heliosphere in unprecedented detail, shedding light on the evolution and structure of the solar atmosphere.
A study published in Neurology found that people with higher sun exposure and vitamin D levels were less likely to develop multiple sclerosis. The researchers also discovered that increased UV light exposure and skin damage from sun exposure reduced the risk of developing the disease.