Solar radiation research encompasses the quantitative characterization, modeling, and variability analysis of electromagnetic energy emitted by the Sun and received at or near Earth, spanning ultraviolet to near‑infrared and sometimes extending to longer wavelengths. This research area investigates solar spectral and broadband irradiance, its spatial and temporal variability driven by solar activity and Earth–Sun geometry, and its modification by atmospheric constituents, clouds, and surface properties. It underpins radiative transfer modeling, climate and weather prediction, solar energy resource assessment, remote sensing retrievals, and studies of radiative forcing, enabling improved parameterizations in climate models and optimized design and siting of solar energy systems.
The most comprehensive data set ever collected from Earth's atmosphere during a solar radiation event has highlighted the importance of better-coordinated radiation monitoring for aviation safety, according to new research ...
Planetary Sciences
Oct 20, 2026
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16
Aerosols are small particles suspended in our atmosphere. They come in many flavors: Wildfire smoke, pollen, desert dust, sea salt lofted by powerful storms, volcanic sulfates and emissions from engines and industrial processes ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 2, 2026
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64
Broccoli grown under magenta solar panels absorbed sunlight more efficiently than plants grown out in the open, according to a study to be published Oct. 2 in Cell Reports Physical Science.
Biotechnology
Oct 2, 2026
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84
Asteroids don't come with a warning label that they might one day hit Earth. While we don't know of any currently on course to do so, we are finding thousands of new ones each year, and there's always a chance that one could.
Planetary Sciences
Sep 23, 2026
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17
Czech researchers at Charles University in Prague, led by Pavla Eliášová, have developed an advanced photocathode that helps convert the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into pure ethanol using sunlight. The new technology solves ...
Nanomaterials
Aug 29, 2026
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78
At the center of our solar system, the sun influences every planet that orbits it. In two recent studies, scientists uncovered how ancient events in the sun's history may have helped create Earth's unique climate and driven ...
Astronomy
Aug 24, 2026
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108
A new study suggests a protective vest tested on a manikin during NASA's first Artemis moonshot could drastically cut the radiation exposure of lunar astronauts during severe solar storms.
Space Exploration
Aug 12, 2026
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12
Most people underestimate how much light a pair of sunglasses blocks out. A typical dark pair removes around 80% to 90% of the visible light reaching the eye.
Space Exploration
Aug 12, 2026
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17
Today's quantum technologies rely on energy-intensive lasers, raising concerns that scaling them up could further increase energy demands. In new work, researchers have demonstrated that quantum entanglement between photons ...
Optics & Photonics
Aug 6, 2026
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120
Mercury was long considered the exception to the rule that magnetic planets have radiation belts similar to Earth's Van Allen belts, but a new study by University of Michigan Engineering and the University of California, ...
Astronomy
Jul 27, 2026
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21
