Cheap solar power is coming

Sweet!!!

It has been called the holy grail of the modern era: cheap solar energy.

And scientists say it may be within our grasp soon.

A Queensland University team has grown the world’s first titanium oxide nano crystals that are likely to revolutionise the way solar energy is harvested and used.

Creating these highly efficient miniature crystals with large reactive surfaces was thought of as impossible by most scientists.

Max Lu, who led the study, said they were a step closer to the holy grail of cost-effective solar energy with their discovery.

‘Highly active surfaces in such crystals allow high reactivity and efficiency in devices used for solar energy conversion and hydrogen production,’ said Lu.

‘Titania nano-crystals are promising materials for cost-effective solar cells, hydrogen production from splitting water, and solar decontamination of pollutants.

‘The beauty of our technique is that it is very simple and cheap to make such materials at mild conditions.’

Lu said it wasn’t just renewable energy where this research could be applied.

‘These crystals are also fantastic for purifying air and water,’ he said.

‘The same principle for such materials to convert sunlight to electricity is also working to break down pollutants in water and air.

‘One could paint these crystals onto a window or a wall to purify the air in a room. The potential of applications of this technology in water purification and recycling are huge.’

Lu said it would be about five years for the water and air pollution applications to be commercially available, and about 5 to 10 years for the solar energy conversion using such crystals.

Details of the project have been published in the latest edition of the journal Nature.

(Source: http://www.stpetersburgnews.net/story/365194)

Sun’s properties not ‘fine-tuned’ for life

Interesting. Are we finally coming to reason and understanding, we are not that special? Not that Unique? It’s never too late to wake up, or is it?

There’s nothing special about the Sun that makes it more likely than other stars to host life, a new study shows. The finding adds weight to the idea that alien life should be common throughout the universe.
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(Source: http://space.newscientist.com)

Sun’s properties not ‘fine-tuned’ for life

Interesting. Are we finally coming to reason and understanding, we are not that special? Not that Unique? It’s never too late to wake up, or is it?

There’s nothing special about the Sun that makes it more likely than other stars to host life, a new study shows. The finding adds weight to the idea that alien life should be common throughout the universe.
…

(Source: http://space.newscientist.com)

Utility-Scale Solar Power

Rather than using large reflective surfaces, the eSolar array uses smaller reflective surfaces, reducing the installation costs, control costs. The smaller size also means increased construction speeds. Also the decreased wind profile means increased up-time. Each array, or module, is 25 MW; which can be multipled for larger plant needs.

(Source: http://peswiki.com/index.php/Directory:eSolar)

Solar Systems Similar to Ours Common in Milky Way

OH! Really! Those scientist are slow pokes. We have known these things for hundreds of years, but because now they can see, they say it might exist…

A team of international astronomers discovery of a solar system nearly 5,000 light years away containing scaled-down versions of Jupiter and Saturn. Their findings suggest that our galaxy could conceivably contain many star systems similar to our own.
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(Full Article: http://www.dailygalaxy.com)

Venus and Jupiter together in the sky!

Although no one likes getting up early, the morning of February 1 will be worth the effort. Just before local dawn, the scene is set as brilliant planets Venus and Jupiter rise together ahead of sunrise. The planetary pair will be so close together they can easily fit in the same binocular field of view and in a low power, wide field telescope eyepiece. Even if you don’t use optical aid, the dazzling duet will capture the eye….

“Your eye is like a digital camera,” explains Dr. Stuart Hiroyasu, O.D., of Bishop, California. “There’s a lens in front to focus the light, and a photo-array behind the lens to capture the image. The photo-array in your eye is called the retina. It’s made of rods and cones, the fleshy organic equivalent of electronic pixels.” Near the center of the retina lies the fovea, a patch of tissue 1.5 millimeters wide where cones are extra-densely packed. “Whatever you see with the fovea, you see in high-definition,” he says. The fovea is critical to reading, driving, watching television. The fovea has the brain’s attention. The field of view of the fovea is only about five degrees wide. On Friday morning, Venus and Jupiter will fit together inside that narrow angle, signaling to the brain, “this is worth watching!”

But Venus and Jupiter aren’t the only pair sparkling the pre-dawn skies. If you look a bit further south, you’ll notice that the waning Moon and Antares are also making a spectacular show! While they will be separated by a little more distance, the red giant and earthshine Moon will still fit within the eye’s fovea – and a binocular field of view!

Where will all the celestial action take place? Look no further than the ecliptic plane – the imaginary path the Sun, Moon and planets take across the sky. For many observers, the ecliptic plane begins low in the southeast – but southern hemisphere viewers have a much different view! But don’t wait until Friday to have a look. If you’re up before dawn, step outside and watch as Venus and Jupiter draw closer together over the next several days and the Moon creeps to the east. On February 3, the Moon will form a line-up with the two planets and a striking triangle on the morning of February 4. Be sure to have a camera on hand and share your photos!

(Source: http://www.universetoday.com)