Photovoltaics years in Northern Europe. The term "photovoltaic" comes from the Greek φῶς ("phōs") meaning "light", and from "volt", the unit of electro-motive force, the volt, which in turn comes from the last name of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta, inventor of the battery (electrochemical cell). The term "photo-voltaic" has been in use in English since 1849. Photovoltaics are best known as a method for generating electric power by using solar cells to convert energy from the sun into a flow of electrons by the photovoltaic effect. Solar cells produce direct current electricity from sunlight which can be used to power
1827 Atkinson survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, "Atkinson" measures 8.855 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.249. This minor planet was named after British astronomer, physicist and inventor, Robert d'Escourt Atkinson (1898–1982), noted for his contributions to fundamental astronomy. Atkinson pioneered in studying nuclear energy-generation in the Sun and stars. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center before November 1977 (). 1827 Atkinson 1827 Atkinson, provisional designation , is a background asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 9 kilometers in diameter. It