Solar plane aiming for first round-the-world flight lands in India

‘It’s a privilege to fly in an aeroplane like that,’ says pilot Bertrand Piccard

The first round-the-world solar-powered flight landed in India on Wednesday, the second leg of a 35,000km journey seeking to demonstrate that flying long distances fuelled by renewable energy is possible.

The Solar Impulse 2 arrived in the west Indian city of Ahmedabad after a flight of about 15 hours over the Arabian sea from Muscat in Oman.

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See also BBC report

2,700-Year-Old Osiris Statues, Small Sphinx Unearthed at Karnak

A team of archaeologists from the French-Egyptian Centre for the Study of Karnak Temples has made a new discovery near the temple of Ptah at Karnak, Luxor, Egypt, during routine excavation works
Built during the reign of Thutmose III (1479 – 1424 BC), the temple of Ptah was restored, enlarged and adapted throughout the period before the reign of Emperor Tiberius (14-37 AD),” the scientists said...
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NASA’s Dawn Spacecraft Finally Arrives at Dwarf Planet Ceres

After a seven-year cruise, and a one-year successful mission at the giant asteroid 4 Vesta, NASA’s Dawn space probe today successfully entered the orbit of its second and final target, the dwarf planet Ceres
Located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, Ceres is the largest unexplored world of the inner Solar System.
It was discovered on January 1, 1801 by the Italian astronomer and monk Giuseppe Piazzi.

For the last century, it was known as the largest asteroid in the Solar System. But in 2006, the International Astronomical Union reclassified it as a dwarf planet because of its large size – Ceres is roughly 950 km in diameter
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Ancient Mars Had an Ocean, Scientists Say

An artist rendering of what recent research suggests Mars might have looked like around 4 billion years ago, when most researchers think the planet was considerably warmer than it is today

After six years of planetary observations, scientists at NASA say they have found convincing new evidence that ancient Mars had an ocean.

It was probably the size of the Arctic Ocean, larger than previously estimated, the researchers reported on Thursday. The body of water spread across the low-lying plain of the planet’s northern hemisphere for millions of years, they said...

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Japan’s Growth in Solar Power Falters as Utilities Balk

MAKURAZAKI, Japan — Rice fields, golf courses and even a disused airport runway. All over the southern Japanese region of Kyushu, unexpected places gleam with electricity-producing solar panels.

Solar use in Japan has exploded over the last two years as part of an ambitious national effort to promote renewable energy. But the technology’s future role is now in doubt.

Utilities say their infrastructure cannot handle the swelling army of solar entrepreneurs intent on selling their power. And their willingness to invest more money depends heavily on whether the government remains committed to clean energy....

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Europe’s Human Brain Project needs urgent reforms, panel says

The Human Brain Project (HBP), a humongous, controversial research project backed by the European Union, must reform to stay on course, a review panel has recommended—and it must do so fast. A summary of the panel's report, published today by the European Commission, says a series of "corrective actions" needs to be taken in HBP's governance, the way it collaborates, and its communication.
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