Tag: Science News

 

From the “you possibly can want in a single hand…” dept

Public Launch: 26-Feb-2019

Economists map out economically viable path to renewables-based hydrogen manufacturing

Technical College of Munich (TUM)

Hydrogen manufacturing primarily based on wind energy can already be commercially viable as we speak. Till now, it was usually assumed that this environmentally pleasant power-to-gas expertise couldn’t be carried out profitably. Economists on the Technical College of Munich (TUM), the College of Mannheim and Stanford College have now described, primarily based available on the market conditions in Germany and Texas, how versatile manufacturing amenities may make this expertise a key part within the transition of the power system.

From fertilizer manufacturing, as a coolant for energy stations or in gasoline cells for vehicles: Hydrogen is a extremely versatile fuel. Right now, most hydrogen for industrial functions is produced utilizing fossil fuels, above all with pure fuel and coal. In an environmentally pleasant power system, nonetheless, hydrogen may play a distinct function: as an necessary storage medium and a way of balancing energy distribution networks: extra wind and photo voltaic power can be utilized to provide hydrogen via water electrolysis. This course of is called power-to-gas. The hydrogen can get well the power later, for instance by producing energy and warmth in gasoline cells, mixing hydrogen into the pure fuel pipeline community or transformed into synthesis fuel.

“Ought to I promote the power or convert it?”

Nevertheless, power-to-gas expertise has at all times been seen as non-competitive. Gunther Glenk of the Chair of Administration Accounting at TUM and Prof. Stefan Reichelstein, a researcher on the College of Mannheim and Stanford College, have now accomplished an evaluation demonstrating the feasibility of zero-emission and worthwhile hydrogen manufacturing. Their examine, printed within the famend journal Nature Vitality, exhibits that one issue is crucial within the present market environments in Germany and Texas:

The idea requires amenities that can be utilized each to feed energy into the grid and to provide hydrogen. These mixed techniques, which aren’t but in frequent use, should reply optimally to the vast fluctuations in wind energy output and costs in energy markets. “The operator can resolve at any time: ought to I promote the power or convert it,” explains Stefan Reichelstein.

Manufacturing in some industries would already be worthwhile as we speak

In Germany and Texas, as much as sure manufacturing output ranges, such amenities may already produce hydrogen

Visitor essay by Eric Worrall

The Ninth Circuit is presently listening to an try by the Juliana v. United States plaintiffs to halt all fossil gas extraction in america.

The children suing the federal government over local weather change need to halt fossil gas extraction

The plaintiffs in Juliana v. United States say they’ve been denied their proper to a secure and secure local weather.

Umair Irfan Feb 23, 2019, eight:00am EST

…

If the injunction is granted, it might result in a nationwide moratorium on new fossil gas allowing and leasing on federal lands and waters till the lawsuit is resolved. No small matter. Nonetheless, current mining and drilling tasks would nonetheless proceed.

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Philip Gregory, one of many lead attorneys representing the kids submitting go well with, defined that the injunction request is supposed to deal with the urgency of limiting local weather change by decreasing emissions from fossil fuels instantly. With the case presently tied up in appeals, the plaintiffs wished to ensure the present state of affairs with respect to local weather change doesn’t worsen because the wheels of justice slowly flip.

“We’d have most well-liked to go to trial, submit our intensive proof, and have the decide require the defendants to give you a plan, a nationwide local weather restoration plan, for the way they’re going to go about doing this,” Gregory stated.

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In response, the federal authorities argued this week that the injunction maneuver is a ploy to bypass correct authorized proceedings. “Certainly, Plaintiffs by their current movement are basically making a bid on this Court docket for a substitute mini-trial or ‘trial lite’ — which is untimely till the pure problems with legislation now being briefed on this interlocutory enchantment are appropriately resolved as a threshold matter,” wrote attorneys for the US Division of Justice. They described the injunction request as an “formidable try and throttle necessary authorities capabilities superintending broad swaths of the nationwide financial system.”

The federal government additionally famous that the Juliana lawsuit was filed greater than three years in the past however the plaintiffs hadn’t requested to dam fossil gas leasing till now, which undermines the plaintiffs’ argument that with out quick motion, they’d undergo irreparable hurt.

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Learn extra: https://www.vox.com/2019/2/23/18234721/childrens-climate-lawsuit-juliana-injunction

A duplicate of the injunction is obtainable right here.

Even President Obama didn’t assist

Within the coming years, hundreds of satellites, a number of next-generation area telescopes and even a couple of area habitats are anticipated to be launched into orbit. Past Earth, a number of missions are deliberate to be despatched to the lunar floor, to Mars, and past. As humanity’s presence in area will increase, the quantity of information that’s repeatedly being again despatched to Earth is reaching the bounds of what radio communications can deal with.

For that reason, NASA and different area companies are searching for new strategies for sending data forwards and backwards throughout area. Already, optical communications (which depend on lasers to encode and transmit data) are being developed, however different extra radical ideas are additionally being investigating. These embrace X-ray communications, which NASA is gearing as much as take a look at in area utilizing their XCOM know-how demonstrator.

Since its inception in 1958, NASA has relied solely on radio communications to remain involved with all of its missions past Earth. A lot of this has been dealt with by NASA’s Deep House Community (DSN), a worldwide community of large radio antennas that has supported all of NASA’s interplanetary missions and a few missions to Low-Earth Orbit (LEO).

However with renewed missions to the Moon, crewed missions to Mars, and an increasing array of miniature satellites coming within the near-future, NASA will want a extra environment friendly and sturdy communications system than ever earlier than. To this point, using lasers to encode and transmit knowledge has proven promise, able to working 10 to 100 instances extra effectively than radio methods.

Nevertheless, NASA is wanting past these elements of the spectrum to accommodate the move of knowledge. That is the place the idea of X-ray communications (XCOM) come into play, which provide much more in the best way of benefits than lasers. For one, X-rays have a lot shorter wavelengths than each radio waves and lasers and may broadcast in tighter beams.

Which means that extra data could possibly be despatched with the identical quantity of transmission energy, and fewer power can be wanted over lengthy distances – no less than in principle. As well as, X-rays additionally take pleasure in having the ability to penetrate the recent plasma that builds up as spacecraft re-enter Earth’s ambiance at hypersonic speeds.

These plasma

From The Day by day Caller

Talking at a “Women Who Code” occasion in New York Metropolis, self-identified democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hit again in opposition to critics of her Inexperienced New Deal decision.

WATCH:

Ocasio-Cortez declares “I am the Boss… How ’bout that!” whereas claiming that nobody else has tried to provide you with local weather change coverage earlier than the Inexperienced New Deal.

Apparently she’s by no means seen @TheDemocrats coverage platform… ever.

This infighting goes to be enjoyable to look at. pic.twitter.com/AV1TgRa5kU

— Tim Younger (@TimRunsHisMouth) February 24, 2019

“I simply launched the Inexperienced New Deal two weeks in the past, and it’s creating all of this dialog,” the New York Democratic congresswoman mentioned Friday to moderator Reshma Saujani, the CEO of Women Who Code. “Why? As a result of nobody else has even tried. As a result of nobody else has even tried.”

Ocasio-Cortez claimed that — no matter success — the “energy” goes to the person who tries.

“So individuals are like, ‘Oh it’s unrealistic. Oh it’s obscure. Oh it doesn’t handle this little minute factor.’ And I’m like, ‘You attempt. You do it. ‘Cuz you’re not. ‘Cuz you’re not. So, till you do it, I’m the boss.’ How ’bout that?’”

Ocasio-Cortez launched her Inexperienced New Deal decision earlier in February alongside Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey. The invoice not solely requires the U.S. to dramatically transition to 100 % renewable vitality in only a few years, but in addition calls for upgrading all buildings within the nation, addressing the emissions launched from cow farts in a now-deleted FAQ web page, and touches on numerous different progressive points. (RELATED: ‘Dis Me. I’ve Been Round Awhile’: Joe Lieberman Is Not Impressed By Ocasio-Cortez)

The decision has been met with criticism and mock from each events. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, the second-highest rating senator in his get together, mentioned after studying and re-reading the Inexperienced New Deal, he nonetheless needed to ask a co-sponsor, “What within the heck is that this?”

Senate Majority Chief Mitch McConnell would possibly deliver the Inexperienced New Deal up for a vote within the higher chamber of Congress within the coming days. The transfer would pressure quite a few Democratic presidential candidates to take a public stance on the invoice.

Comply with Jason on Twitter.

Like Earth, Uranus and Neptune have season and expertise modifications in climate patterns in consequence. However in contrast to Earth, the seasons on these planets final for years slightly than months, and climate patterns happen on a scale that’s unimaginable by Earth requirements. instance is the storms which have been noticed in Neptune and Uranus’ ambiance, which embrace Neptune’s well-known Nice Darkish Spot.

Throughout its yearly routine of monitoring Uranus and Neptune, NASA’s Hubble House Telescope (HST) just lately supplied up to date observations of each planets’ climate patterns. Along with recognizing a brand new and mysterious storm on Neptune, Hubble supplied a recent have a look at a long-lived storm round Uranus’ north pole. These observations are a part of Hubble‘s long-term mission to enhance our understanding of the outer planets.

The brand new pictures had been taken as a part of the Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program, a long-term Hubble venture led by Amy Simon of NASA’s Goddard House Flight Middle. Yearly, this program captures international maps of our Photo voltaic System’s outer planets when they’re closest to Earth. One in all OPAL’s key objectives is to check long-term seasonal modifications and relatively transitory occasions, corresponding to the looks of darkish spots.

Recognizing them is not any simple process, since these darkish spots seem rapidly and are comparatively short-lived, to the purpose the place some could have appeared and disappeared throughout multi-year gaps in Hubble’s observations of Neptune. That is one other objective of the OPAL program, which is to make sure that astronomers don’t miss one other one.

This newest darkish spot, which measures roughly 11,000 km (6,800 mi) in diameter, seems on the prime middle of the planet. Hubble first noticed it in September of 2018, when Neptune’s southern hemisphere was experiencing summer time. That is per seasonal change on the planet, the place warming within the southern hemisphere causes climate patterns to develop into extra dramatic within the north.

Whereas it’s unclear precisely how these storms kind, new analysis by Simon and the OPAL crew point out that they kind rapidly, final from 4 to 6 years,

NASA’s InSight lander has lastly positioned its warmth probe on the floor of Mars. The Warmth Circulation and Bodily Properties Package deal (HP^three) was deployed on February 12th, about one meter away from SEIS, the landers seismometer. Quickly it’ll begin hammering its means into the Martian soil.

Should you’re beginning to get used to feats like this, preserve a couple of issues in thoughts.

The lander is on Mars, a planet that’s over 50 million kilometers away, and takes about 6 months to journey to. As soon as there, the lander needed to undergo a deadly touchdown course of simply to reach on the floor intact. It’s touchdown website was rigorously chosen, and to ensure that this stationary lander to do its factor, it has to stay its touchdown.

Then comes the laborious half.

“Inside a couple of days, we’ll lastly break floor utilizing part of our instrument we name the mole.”

Tilman Spohn, HP3 Principal Investigator, German Aerospace Middle.

Perception needed to rigorously look at its environment and resolve on the proper spot to position its devices. After weeks of examination, it selected this actual spot for the HP^three. Then comes the Warmth Probe, which is a feat of engineering in itself.

“That factor weighs lower than a pair of sneakers, makes use of much less energy than a Wi-Fi router and has to dig at the very least 10 toes [3 meters] on one other planet,” Hudson mentioned. “It took a lot work to get a model that might make tens of 1000’s of hammer strokes with out tearing itself aside; some early variations failed earlier than making it to 16 toes [5 meters], however the model we despatched to Mars has confirmed its robustness repeatedly.”

The entire function of this endeavour is to be taught concerning the inside construction of Mars. The Warmth Probe and Bodily Properties Package deal will measure the quantity of warmth popping out of the middle of Mars. To try this, it has to hammer its means into the planet.

“Our probe is designed to measure warmth coming from the within of Mars,” mentioned InSight Deputy Principal Investigator Sue Smrekar of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. “That’s why we need to get it belowground. Temperature modifications on the floor, each from the seasons

In just a few days, newly-discovered Comet Iwamoto will cut up the orbits of Earth and Mars, making a comparatively shut strategy to our planet seen by way of small telescopes. It is a uncommon go to. The comet comes from the realm of Excessive Trans-Neptunian Objects, a distant area of the photo voltaic system inhabited by unusual objects akin to “Sedna” and “the Goblin.”

Animation beneath might take awhile to load:

Found in Dec. 2018 by Japanese beginner astronomer Masayuki Iwamoto, utilizing binoculars, this comet is a customer from past the Kuiper Belt. It comes from the realm of Excessive Trans-Neptunian Objects (ETNOs) greater than 5 instances as removed from the solar as Pluto. This implies it may very well be a relative of different ETNOS akin to Sedna, 2012 VP113 (“Biden“), and 2015 TG387 (“Goblin“).  Extra at Spaceweather.com

From NASA JPL, this picture exhibits the place of the comet when it makes the closest strategy to Earth on Feb 12th.

See the interactive orbit viewer right here

From NASA APOD:

Iwamoto will cross closest to Earth on February 12. This comet’s extremely elliptical orbit across the Solar stretches past the Kuiper belt with an estimated 1,371 12 months orbital interval. That ought to carry it again to the inside Photo voltaic System in 3390 AD. The comet is touring very quick by way of house at a pace of 147,948 miles per hour (238,099 km/h) relative to Earth.

That’s a pace of 41 miles per second!

Above: Comet Iwamoto (C/2018 Y1), exhibits off a fairly, greenish coma on the higher left on this telescopic subject of view. Taken on February four from the Mount John Observatory, College of Canterbury, the 30 minute lengthy whole publicity time exhibits the comet sweeping rapidly throughout a background of stars and distant galaxies within the constellation Virgo. The lengthy publicity and Iwamoto’s speedy movement relative to the celebs and galaxies leads to the noticeable blurred streak tracing the the comet’s brilliant inside coma. In reality, the streaked coma offers the comet a remarkably comparable look to Messier 104 at decrease proper, popularly generally known as the Sombrero Galaxy. The comet, a customer to the inside Photo voltaic System, is a mere four light-minutes away although, whereas majestic Messier 104, a spiral galaxy posing edge-on, is 30 million