Solar For All

A new interactive 3D visualisation shows the Solar System in real time, plotting more than 526,000 asteroids alongside every tracked artificial satellite. Users can explore the positions of these objects as they are right now. The project drew strong attention on Hacker News, reaching the top of the site with over 400 engagements as commenters praised its scope and technical detail.

Science journalist Cleo Abram has released an explainer arguing that the Sun is far stranger than most people realise, and it has drawn millions of likes. The piece highlights little-known facts about the Sun's behaviour and physics, and viewers are sharing it widely as an accessible look at solar science.

Ukraine is increasingly relying on distributed renewable energy to keep electricity flowing despite Russian strikes on its centralised power infrastructure. By spreading generation across many small solar and wind installations rather than large plants, damage from attacks is less likely to cause widespread blackouts, and repairs are faster. Commentators are highlighting the model as evidence that decentralised energy systems offer both climate and wartime resilience benefits.

Indian entrepreneur Sumant Sinha joined Raj Shamani's podcast to argue that renewable energy is heading toward a $1 trillion boom, driven by solar, wind and green hydrogen. The conversation has drawn strong engagement, with listeners discussing the investment potential of clean energy and India's role in the coming transition away from fossil fuels.

Peter Watts' 2006 hard science fiction novel Blindsight is being discussed, with readers revisiting its ideas about consciousness, first contact and intelligence. The book follows a crew sent to investigate an alien presence at the edge of the solar system, and is widely regarded as one of the most thought-provoking first-contact novels of recent decades.

The Global Solar Atlas, an online tool providing detailed data on solar power potential across the world, is drawing attention online. The free resource lets users assess photovoltaic output anywhere on the planet, supporting planners, researchers and investors weighing where solar energy projects make the most sense as interest in renewable energy grows.

Google's Project Suncatcher proposes deploying AI chips in orbit to harness solar power for large-scale computing, a move that could reshape how data centers and AI workloads are powered. The concept is drawing wide attention in tech and education circles, with commentators debating whether space-based AI infrastructure is realistic and how it might change the semiconductor and cloud computing industries.

California has enacted legislation legalizing plug-in balcony solar panels, allowing apartment dwellers and renters to mount small solar units on balconies and plug them directly into outlets to cut residential energy costs. The bill, championed by State Senator Scott Wiener, opens access to solar power for the millions of residents who cannot install rooftop systems. Climate and clean energy advocates are celebrating the move as a model other states could follow.

A solar and energy reviewer has tested a portable power station sold through Costco, calling it the retailer's best offering and demonstrating what the battery unit can power. The item covers its capacity, charging options and practical home or camping uses, drawing wide interest from shoppers weighing backup power for outages or outdoor trips.

NASA's Voyager mission continues its science in interstellar space almost 49 years after launch. Voyager 1 remains humanity's most distant spacecraft, while Voyager 2 is still the only probe to have visited Uranus and Neptune. Both craft carry the Golden Record, a message from Earth to any life that might find them, and people are celebrating the enduring engineering achievement.

A new study finds that rural communities across the Midwest are seeing real economic benefits from wind and solar energy projects, including jobs, tax revenue and payments to landowners. Public radio stations across the region, including in Wisconsin, Kansas City, central Illinois and the tri-state area, are covering the findings, which add economic evidence to debates over renewable energy expansion in farm country.

A mineral called perovskite is being presented as a breakthrough that could transform solar panel technology. The claim is that this common rock-like material could make solar cells cheaper and more efficient than conventional silicon panels, sparking widespread interest in what is being called a perovskite solar revolution.

California has legalized plug-in solar panels for homes and apartments, allowing residents to simply plug small solar units into ordinary outlets to generate their own power. The move could make solar access far easier for renters and apartment dwellers who cannot install rooftop systems, and it is being closely watched as a potential model for other states.

Sumant appears on Raj Shamani's podcast to discuss how renewable energy has become one of the biggest business opportunities. The conversation frames clean energy not just as an environmental priority but as a commercial sector attracting serious investment and entrepreneurship. Listeners are engaging heavily with the episode, suggesting strong interest in the economics of solar, wind and other renewables and what they mean for India's business landscape.

New US Energy Information Administration data suggests renewables' installed capacity will surpass natural gas within a year. The Electric Power Monthly report shows renewably generated electricity in the first half of 2026 was 10.9% higher than in 2025, with utility-scale solar leading growth at 21.6%. Observers are highlighting the pace of the energy transition in the United States.

California has approved plug-in solar panels that residents can install on balconies and connect directly to wall outlets, making it the largest US state to legalise the technology. Supporters say the rule gives apartment dwellers and renters a cheaper, simpler way to generate their own electricity and cut bills, adding momentum to rooftop and small-scale solar across the country.

Gaming content creator León Picarón has released a new GTA 5 mod video featuring an upgraded Solar Sonic character, based on the Sonic movie design. The clip shows the enhanced character in action within the game and has drawn more than 100,000 likes, with fans of the Sonic franchise and GTA modding community reacting to the custom creation.

An animated 3D cartoon tells the story of a poor potato character who builds a solar system to save his village's crops, in an emotional tale aimed at children. The Hindi-language video is drawing large engagement, suggesting audiences are responding to its mix of renewable energy themes and heartwarming rural storytelling.

California has officially legalized plug-in balcony solar, becoming one of the first US states to allow the small panel systems common in Europe. The move opens solar access to renters and apartment dwellers who cannot install rooftop panels. Supporters say it could expand clean energy adoption, while observers note rules on size and utility interconnection will shape how widely the technology spreads.

A long-running boat restoration series has released its 300th episode, documenting the shift from engine room repairs to installing solar power on a large vessel project. The milestone marks years of continuous work on the boat, and viewers are following along as the project moves toward more modern, energy-focused systems. Discussion centres on the scale of the restoration and the switch to solar.

Renewable sources have covered 61% of Germany's electricity needs so far this year, according to Clean Energy Wire. The figure highlights the continued growth of wind, solar and other clean sources in Europe's largest economy, and is being shared among energy watchers as a sign of the country's ongoing energy transition.