☀️ 30 MW space solar plant, ‘Zombie star’ could explode soon, world’s most precise measurements of subatomic particles

In a move that could revolutionize how the world harvests energy and reduce dependence on non-renewable sources, Iceland could become the first country to harness solar power from space.

The country’s sustainability initiative, Transition Labs, is collaborating with UK-based Space Solar and Icelandic energy company Reykjavik Energy to develop a solar power plant located outside the Earth’s atmosphere. Dive deeper into this Must-Read.

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☀️ 30 MW space solar plant designed to send electricity to Earth by 2030

Space Solar’s first plant is designed with an initial capacity of 30MW, providing reliable power continuously, unaffected by weather or time of day. The project aims to deliver cost-effective energy around the clock, setting a new standard for renewable power. Each 30MW solar farm will be transported to orbit in a single launch using SpaceX’s Starship mega rocket.

Starting in 2030, the system could generate enough energy to power 1,500 to 3,000 homes. Solar panels in space will capture sunlight and transmit it as radio waves to a ground station, where it will be converted into electricity for the grid.

Space reported that developing and manufacturing the pilot plant will cost $800 million. The system is expected to provide electricity at approximately one-quarter the cost of nuclear power, at $2.25 billion per gigawatt, making it competitive with Earth-based renewable energy sources.

✨ ‘Zombie star’ could explode soon, light up sky for the first time in 80 years

A rare astronomical phenomenon known as a ‘zombie star’ could light up the night sky in the near future after rising from the dead. Space experts revealed that T Coronae Borealis, also known as the ‘Blaze Star’, could explode at any moment after decades of inactivity.

This blast is likely to cause an eruption of light capable of illuminating a dead binary star system for the first time in 80 years. According to NASA, the star is part of a system around 3,000 light-years away.

The system comprises an Earth-sized dead star which, due to the presence of pressure and heat, could cause a thermonuclear explosion visible to the naked eye from our planet. The star earned its nickname owing to its ability to come back to life after such an explosion.

⚛️ World’s most precise measurements of subatomic particle lifetimes produced by Belle II

The Belle II experiment has recently made precise measurements of the lifetime of subatomic particles called quarks and leptons (such as electrons and neutrinos). These particles are believed to be the building blocks of all visible matter in the universe.

Collisions of electron and positron beams created the high-energy environment needed to produce subatomic particles.

Researchers claimed that this measurement is highly sensitive to the calibration and alignment of detector components and, therefore, it provides a probe of these components.

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