SOLAR

The U.S. Energy Department finalized loan guarantees for two major solar projects on Wednesday, as the deadline loomed for the government's renewable-energy incentive program.

The strong solar storm that reached the Earth on Monday has shrouded our planet with cosmic rays and high-energy particles that can prove to be hazardous to astronauts and airline passengers in coming days, space scientists have warned.

Computer gamers have identified two possible Earthlike planets outside the solar system, while playing the browser game Planet Hunter, which lets the public get data from NASA's Kepler mission and public archives and pictures.

University of Michigan to invest more than $70 million in sustainability initiatives.

A gigantic solar flare that erupted Saturday just won't quit and is forecasted to continue to dazzle sky watchers in Asia and Europe with aurora light shows Tuesday evening.

Particles that were blasted by the sun during a powerful solar flare on Saturday have reached Earth, which will illuminate the Northern Lights in some regions and may also interrupt radio and GPS signals.

A massive solar flare that erupted on the Sun over the weekend have crossed the solar system and hit the Earth's magnetic field at approximately 8:15 a.m. EDT (12:15 UT) on Sept. 26, according to NASA.

Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon and commander of Apollo 11, said the United States risks squandering 5 decades of space research, work, and accomplishments, if the nation does not find ways to restore hope and confidence in NASA, as part of a unified sense of purpose on space exploration.

In light of allegations of inappropriate dealings between the White House and failed energy company Solyndra and wireless start-up LightSquared, U.S. Rep. Darrell Issas, R-Calif., said Tuesday that his committee plans to investigate government loans programs to private companies,The Hill reported.

Second-quarter U.S. installations of photovoltaic solar panels rose 17 percent from the previous quarter as increases in nonresidential and utility-scale projects offset a weakened residential solar market.

Chinese media also reported that villagers blamed the factory’s pollution for causing at least 31 cases of cancer in the nearby village of Hongxiao.

Residents of a village in east China accused riot police of heavy-handed tactics after a three-day protest against a solar panel factory accused of dumping toxic waste was brought to an end on Sunday.

Protesters have camped outside an east China-based solar panel manufacturer accusing it of dumping toxic waste into a river, China's official Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.

NASA's 6.5-ton Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite would fall to Earth next week after the end of a productive scientific life.

The cost to install solar power in the United States fell by 17 percent in 2010 and is on pace to drop even faster this year, according to a new report issued by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

U.S. solar company Calisolar on Wednesday said it would downsize its California solar cell factory, laying off 80 employees, as it focuses on its primary silicon production business.

Indian solar photo-voltaic (PV) cellmaker Indosolar Ltd is in talks with Chinese polysilicon maker GCL-Poly Energy Holdings to tie up a new 4-year solar wafer supply deal, which could be worth up to $2 billion, its chief executive told Reuters on Wednesday.

Scientists have inferred the existence of an “invisible” planet, from the influence it’s exerting on another planet.

Astronomers have observed extreme brightness changes on a nearby cool brown dwarf that may indicate a massive storm ever seen on a planet.

At this point, astronomers don't know anything about the invisible world Kepler-19c, other than that it exists.

The FBI raided the home of Solyndra CEO Brian Harrison on Thursday, the same day it searched the solar energy firm's Fremont, Calif., headquarters.