£2m panel cheaters
SPACE MIRRORS’ SOLAR BOOST
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A STUNNING star trail is shown lighting up the clear night sky – thanks to some clever camera trickery. Photographers are making the most of the lockdown to take the incredible pictures.
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Using a long exposure time they can reveal the continuous paths created by stars as the Earth rotates on its axis.
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The phenomenon is usually difficult to photograph because of the number of planes in the sky.
One snapper captured the spectacular image above, in the dead of night in south Leicestershire.
And a fellow astronomy fan took a similar shot over Shropshire, right.
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Looks like the Midlands is the place to be right now if you’ve got a little twinkle in your eye.
GIANT mirrors in space could reflect extra sunlight towards the Earth to power Britain.
Scientists want to use them to direct rays to solar panel farms worldwide and boost energy generation.
The mirrors would line up with their targets at dawn and dusk to maximise the power created.
University of Glasgow professor Colin Mcinnes has been given a £2.2million grant to explore the idea.
He said: “The possibility of delivering energy from space offers entirely new opportunities for the future.
“The delivery of global clean energy services is one of the key challenges for the 21st century.”
Prof Mcinnes and four researchers will examine the best way to create huge solar power farms worldwide.
And they will look at whether a “constellation of gossamer-thin reflectors” can beam sunlight to them.
The team will also see if 3D printers can build the mirrors in space, so they are not damaged in transit.
Prof Mcinnes added: “I’m looking forward to starting work with our team on this exciting project to understand how space technology can contribute to the future of global energy services.”
The cash award to Prof Mcinnes is one of 185 grants, worth nearly £400m, announced by the European Research Council yesterday.