Over the past few weeks the sun “has undergone a series of giant eruptions that have sent plasma hurtling through space,” reports Science Alert: Perhaps the most dramatic was a powerful coronal mass ejection and solar flare that erupted from the far side of the Sun on February 15 just Read more…
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has captured its first images of Venus’ surface in visible light. The images show distinctive areas on the planetary surface, including continental regions, plains and plateaus. The images were taken on the nightside of the planet where the heat reemitted by the various surface areas has Read more…
Corn-based ethanol, which for years has been mixed in huge quantities into gasoline sold at U.S. pumps, is likely a much bigger contributor to global warming than straight gasoline, according to a study published Monday. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, contradicts previous research Read more…
The U.S. produced more petroleum than it consumed in 2020, and the numbers were essentially in balance in 2021, according to the Energy Information Administration. The surge in oil prices taking place in 2022 has radically different implications for the U.S. economy — and for key geopolitical relationships in the Read more…
No province is too small or remote for Beijing’s careful attention. Chinese technology and money have helped build one of Latin America’s largest solar energy plants in Jujuy (pronounced hu-HUY), where hundreds of thousands of panels coat the desert like giant dominoes. Chinese security cameras guard government buildings across the Read more…
Virgin Galactic announced that it’s opening ticket sales to the general public for its spaceflight system, “letting you become an astronaut if you’re willing to pay $450,000 and put down a $150,000 deposit,” reports Engadget. For that $450K, you’ll get a 90-minute ride to the edge of space including the Read more…
Shrunk reservoirs. Depleted aquifers. Low rivers. Raging wildfires. It’s no secret that the Western U.S. is in a severe drought. New research published Monday shows just how extreme the situation has become. The Western U.S. and Northern Mexico are experiencing their driest period in at least 1,200 years, according to Read more…