
Solar panels – also known as photovoltaic (PV) panels – are made from silicon, a semiconductor material. Such a material has some electrons which are only weakly bound to their atoms. When light falls on the surface of the silicon, electrons break free and can become part of an electric current. . Solar panels have become much cheaper in recent years. They have also become much more efficient – they produce more electrical power from the. . Discover more about the physics behind the IOP’s King’s Cross home in a feature from Physics Review (PDF, 1MB). (Originally published.

Astronomers sometimes divide the Solar System structure into separate regions. The includes Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and the bodies in the . The includes Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and the bodies in the . Since the discovery of the Kuiper belt, the outermost parts of the Solar System are considered a distinct r.