Solar system

Astronomers report detecting radio waves that may originate from an exoplanet, potentially the first such detection ever made. If confirmed, the signal would suggest the distant planet has a magnetic field, a property never directly observed on a world outside our solar system. The finding is drawing attention from space and astronomy enthusiasts following coverage by major science outlets, with researchers emphasising that further observations are needed to verify the origin of the emission.

As solar and wind replace conventional power plants, grids lose the natural inertia that traditionally stabilised electricity systems. UK-based Reactive Technologies is addressing this by sending sonar-like pulses through power networks to measure live grid inertia directly, uncovering stability risks that existing models miss. The company has received €19 million in backing from the European Investment Bank to develop the technology further.

New research suggests magnetic fields may have played a key role in the formation of the solar system, potentially influencing how material in the early solar nebula collapsed and clumped into the sun and planets. The finding adds to ongoing debate among scientists about the physical processes that set planetary formation in motion more than 4.5 billion years ago.

Renewables company X-NOOR has completed a solar installation at a steel wire rope factory in Dubai. The project adds to the growing uptake of solar power by industrial facilities in the United Arab Emirates. Details on the system's capacity and expected output have not been disclosed, and reaction to the announcement has so far been limited.

A giant hexagon-shaped storm at Saturn's north pole, roughly 29,000 kilometres across, is again drawing attention. The phenomenon has fascinated researchers since the Voyager missions first spotted it, and its exact origin remains unexplained. A German science outlet revisits the mysterious six-sided jet stream, laying out the key figures behind one of the solar system's most puzzling weather features.

A Minnesota cabin owner tried to connect a do-it-yourself solar power system to the local utility grid, but could not get it approved, and professional installers say the outcome is common. Utilities typically require licensed, certified installations before allowing solar systems to feed power back into the grid, leaving self-built setups unable to connect without going through an approved contractor.

New research suggests Saturn's icy moon Enceladus makes signs of potential alien life easier to detect. The moon's subsurface ocean, sampled by NASA's Cassini spacecraft through plumes venting from its south pole, offers a promising target in the search for life beyond Earth, and the findings have drawn attention from planetary scientists.

Sunrun and SPAN have expanded their existing partnership to deploy home solar and battery systems as nodes for distributed AI computing, turning residential energy installations into a networked compute resource. The move links rooftop solar with AI infrastructure demand, and energy and technology watchers are discussing what it could mean for home energy management and grid services.